CONFIDENTIAL  CORRESPONDENCE 


THE  EMPEROR  NAPOLEON 


THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE : 


INCLUDING 

LETTERS    FROM    THE    TIME    OP    THEIR   MARRIAGE   UNTIL   THE   DEATH   OP 

JOSEPHINE,  AND   ALSO   SEVERAL   PRIVATE   LETTERS   PROM   THE 

EMPEROR  TO  HIS  BROTHER  JOSEPH,   AND   OTHER 

IMPORTANT  PERSONAGES. 


WITH    NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIVE    NOTES    AND 
ANECDOTES. 


BY 

JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT. 


NEW  YORK: 
PUBLISHED    BY    MASON    BROTHERS, 

108  AND  110  DUANE  STREET. 

1856. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  by 

MASON    BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New  York. 


STEREOTYPED  BY  PRINTED  BY 

THOMAS   B.   SMITH,  C.  A.  ALVOBI>, 

82  A  84  Beekman  Street.  15  Vandewater  St. 


PREFACE. 

THERE  is  still  great  diversity  of  opinion,  respect- 
ing the  true  character  of  Napoleon :  a  diversity  so 
great  as  to  excite  in  many  bosoms  much  angry  feel- 
ing. It  might  be  supposed  that  if  any  question  could 
be  discussed  in  the  United  States  with  calmness,  it 
would  be  the  merits  of  a  European  sovereign  who, 
for  nearly  the  third  of  a  century  has  been  in  his  grave. 
But  it  may  still  be  said  of  Napoleon,  as  it  has  been 
said  of  the  great  Genevan  reformer : 

"  On  Calvin,  some  think  heaven's  own  mantle  fell, 
"While  others  deem  him  instrument  of  hell." 

The  only  way  in  which  we  can  judge  of  the  true 
character  of  a  man,  is  to  see  what  he  has  done,  hear 
what  he  has  said,  and  read  what  he  has  written. 
The  deed,  the  word,  and  the  writing,  constitute  the 
man,  so  far  as  man  can  judge. 

In  the  History  of  Napoleon  the  author  has  given  a 
record  of  the  deeds  of  the  Emperor.  In  Napoleon  at 

2G511S2 


PEEFACE 


St.  Helena,  lie  lias  collected  his  words.  In  the  vol- 
ume now  issued  will  be  found  his  confidential  letters. 

The  authenticity  of  these  letters  are  "beyond  all 
controversy.  Hortense  had  received  them  from  her 
mother,  and  authorized  their  publication.  The 
French  editor,  to  whom  Queen  Hortense  intrusted 
these  letters,  says  :  "We  publish  them  without 
change.  Our  love  for  truth  would  prompt  to  this 
course,  when  we  know  that,  too  often,  to  correct  is  to 
profane.  However,  as  there  are  some  persons  perhaps 
a  little  too  freely  condemned,  we  have  only  given  the 
initials  of  their  names." 

The  confidential  correspondence  of  Napoleon  with 
his  brother  Joseph  has  recently  been  translated  and 
published  in  this  country.  "  These  perfectly  unre- 
served and  brotherly  confidential  letters,"  says  the 
Hon.  Charles  J.  Ingersoll,  "  several  hundred  in  Napo- 
leon's own  hand-writing,  written  before  he  became 
great,  will  demonstrate  his  real  sentiments  and  char- 
acter when  too  young  for  dissembling,  and  quite 
unreserved  with  his  correspondent.  Joseph  relied 
upon  them  to  prove,  what  he  always  said,  and  often 
told  me,  that  Napoleon  was  a  man  of  warm  attach- 
ments, tender  feelings,  and  honest  purposes."  These 
are  now  before  the  public.  They  are  mostly  purely 
business  letters.  From  them  a  Tew  have  been  select- 


PREFACE.  V 

ed,  for  the  present  volume,  which  reflect  light  upon 
the  social  and  domestic  character  of  Napoleon. 

Napoleon  was  so  extraordinary  a  character  that 
every  thing  which  he  has  said  or  done  excites  lively 
interest.  These  letters  present  him  in  entirely  a  new 
aspect — in  an  attitude  in  which  he  has  never  before 
been  seen  by  the  American  public.  We  are  familiar 
with  him  as  the  warrior,  the  statesman,  the  great  ad- 
ministrator— but  here  we  behold  him  as  the  husband, 
the  father,  the  brother,  moving  freely  amid  all  the 
tender  relations  of  domestic  life.  His  heart  is  here 
revealed,  with  all  its  intense  and  glowing  affections. 

These  letters  were  written  in  the  midst  of  the  tur- 
moil of  the  most  busy  and  tempestuous  career 
through  which  a  mortal  ever  passed.  They  were 
often  written  on  the  field  of  battle,  enveloped  in  the 
smoke  of  the  conflict,  and  while  the  thunders  of  the 
retiring  cannonade  were  still  reverberating.  Though 
often  so  overwhelmed  with  pressing  responsibilities 
and  cares  that  he  could  allow  himself  no  quiet  meal, 
no  regular,  repose,  sleeping  in  the  open  air  for  a  fort- 
night, neither  taking  oft7  coat  or  boots,  galloping 
from  post  to  post  of  the  army,  through  mud,  and  rain, 
and  snow,  he  seldom  allowed  a  day  to  pass  without 
writing  to  Josephine,  and  he  often  wrote  to  her  twice 
a  day. 


VI  PREFACE. 

The  compiler  of  this  volume  has  very  freely  intro- 
duced such  historical  facts,  and  well-authenticated 
remarks  of  the  Emperor,  as  throw  light  upon  the  cor- 
respondence. He  trusts  that  these  illustrative  notes 
will  add  not  a  little  to  the  interest  and  value  of  these 
pages.  Happy  is  that  man  whose  "  eulogy"  consists 
in  the  faithful  record  of  what  he  has  written,  done, 
and  said. 

JOHN  S.  C.  ABBOTT. 

Brunswick,  Maine,  1856. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEB  PAGE 

I.— LETTERS  DURING  THE  FIRST  ITALIAN  CAMPAIGN. 9 

II. — LETTERS  IN  THE  YEAR  1800,  AT  THE  TIME  OF  THE 

CAMPAIGN  OF  MARENGO 33 

III. — LETTERS  DURING  THE  TEARS  1801  AND  1802,  TO  JO- 
SEPHINE AND  JOSEPH 42 

IV.— LETTERS  TO  JOSEPHINE  IN  1804,  DURING  A  JOURNEY 

WHICH  THE  EMPEROR  MADE  TO  THE  SEA-COAST 57 

V.— LETTERS  TO  THE  EMPRESS  IN  1^05,  DURING  THE  CAM- 
PAIGN OF  AUSTERLITZ 64 

VI. — LETTERS  IN  1806,  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGNS  OF  JENA 

AND   AUERSTADT 91 

VII.— LETTERS  IN  1806,  DURING  THE  MARCH  TO  THE  VIS- 
TULA   103 

VHL— LETTERS  IN  1807,  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  ETLAU.  126 
IX.— LETTERS   IN   THE  YEAR   1807,  DURING   THE   WINTER 

ENCAMPMENT  UPON  THE  VISTULA 144 

X.— LETTERS  WRITTEN  IN  1807,  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF 

FUIEDLAND 174 

XI — LETTERS  DURING  NOVEMBER  AND  DECEMBER  OF  1807.  189 
XII. — LETTERS  WRITTEN  IN  THE  SPRING  OF  1808,  MOSTLY 

DURING  A  BRIEF  VISIT   TO  BAYONNE.  .  .  .  .    201 


Viii  TABLE     OF     CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  pAOB 

XIII. — LETTERS  IN  THE  YEAR  1808,  DURING  THE  CONGRESS 

AT  ERFURTH 214 

XIV.— LETTERS  IN  1808  AND  1809,  DURING  NAPOLEON'S  CAM- 
PAIGN IN  SPAIN 221 

XV. — LETTERS  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  IN  GERMANY,  IN  1809  235 
XVI. — LETTERS  IN  THE  YEARS  1809  AND  1810,  DURING  THE 

FIRST  THREE  MONTHS  AFTER  THE  DIVORCE 254 

XVII. — LETTERS  WRITTEN  DURING  THE  YEAR  1810,  AFTER  THE 

MARRIAGE  OF  THE  EMPEROR  WITH  MARIA  LOUISA..  269 

XVIII.— LETTERS  DURING  THE  YEAR  1811 302 

XIX.— LETTERS  WRITTEN  DURING  THE  YEAR  1812 324 

XX.— LETTERS  DURING  THE  YEARS  1813  AND  1814 324 

XXI. — LETTERS  DURING  THE  EMPEROR'S  CAPTITITY  AT  SAINT 

HELENA 339 

APPENDIX. — THE  WILL  OF  NAPOLEON;  ms  INSTRUCTIONS  TO 
HIS  EXECUTORS",  AND  A  CHRONOLOGICAL  ACCOUNT  OF 
HIS  CAREER . .  372 


CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS 

OF 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPHINE, 


CHAPTER   I. 

LETTERS  DURING  THE  FIRST  ITALIAN  CAMPAIGN. 

NAPOLEON  was  married  to  Josephine  on  the  9th  of  March, 
1796.  A  few  days  after  his  marriage,  he  left  his  bride  in 
Paris,  and  took  command  of  the  army  of  Italy.  During  this 
campaign,  which  was  closed  in  less  than  a  year,  the  letters 
contained  in  the  present  chapter  were  written.  We  have 
none  of  the  letters  which  were  written  during  the  first  three 
months  of  his  absence.  After  the  perils  of  the  first  assaults 
were  over,  and  when,  most  of  the  Austrians  being  driven  out 
of  Italy,  Napoleon  was  besieging  Mantua,  Josephine  came  to 
Milan,  that  she  might  be  nearer  her  husband.  The  first  letter, 
in  this  collection,  is  dated  from  a  small  town  in  the  vicinity 
of  Mantua. 


LETTER  I. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

ROVERBELLA,  July  6,  1796. 

I  have  beaten  tfce  enemy.  Kilmaine  will  send  you  the  ac- 
count. I  am  dead  of  fatigue.  I  entreat  you  to  set  out  im- 
mediately for  Verona.  I  fear  that  I  am  going  to  be  very  sick.. 
I  give  you  a  thousand  kisses.  I  am  in  the  bed. 

BONAPARTE. 


10  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 


LETTER  II. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

VERONA,'  July  11,  1796. 

Hardly  had  I  left  Roverbella,  than  I  learned  that  the  enemy 
had  presented  himself  at  Verona.  Massena  made  such  dispo- 
sition of  his  army  as  has  been  very  happy.  We  have  made 
six  hundred  prisoners,  and  we  have  taken  three  pieces  of  can- 
non. General  Brune  had  seven  bullets  pass  through  his 
clothes,  without  being  touched  by  one.  This  is  good  fortune. 
I  give  you  a  thousand  kisses.  I  am  very  well.  We  have  had 
only  ten  men  killed  and  one  hundred  wounded. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  HI. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

MARMIROLO,  July  17,  1796,  9  o'clock,  P.M. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  my  adorable  friend.  It  has 
filled  my  heart  with  joy.  I  am  grateful  to  you  for  the  trouble 
you  have  taken  to  send  me  the  news.  I  hope  that  you  are 
better  to-day.  I  am  sure  that  you  have  recovered.  I  earnestly 
desire  that  you  should  ride  on  horseback :  it  can  not  fail  to 
benefit  you. 

Since  I  left  you,  I  have  been  constantly  depressed.  -  My 
happiness  is  to  be  near  you.  Incessantly  I  live  over  in  my 
memory  your  caresses,  your  tears,  your  affectionate  solicitude. 
The  charms  of  the  incomparable  Josephine  kindle  continually 
a  burning  and  a  glowing  flame  in  my  heart.  When,  free 
from  all  solicitude,  all  harassing  care,  shall  I  be  able  to  pass 
all  my  time  with  you,  having  only  to  love  y"ou,  and  to  think 
only  of  the  happiness  of  so  saying,  and  of  proving  it  to  you  ? 
I  will  send  you  your  horse,  but  I  hope  you  will  soou  join  me. 

1  A  fine  city  on  the  Adige,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Mantua. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  11 

I  thought  that  I  loved  you  months  ago,  but  since  my  separa- 
tion from  you  I  feel  that  I  love  you  a  thousand  fold  more. 
Each  day  since  I  knew  you,  have  I  adored  you  yet  more  and 
more.  This  proves  the  maxim  of  Bruyere,  that  "  love  comes 
all  of  a  sudden,"  to  be  false.  Every  thing  in  nature  has  its 
own  course,  and  different  degrees  of  growth. 

Ah  !  I  entreat  you  to  permit  me  to  see  some  of  your  faults. 
Be  less  beautiful,  less  gracious,  less  affectionate,  less  good,  es- 
pecially be  not  over-anxious,  and  never  weep.  Your  tears  rob 
me  of  reason,  and  inflame  my  blood.  Believe  me  it  is  not  in 
my  power  to  have  a  single  thought  which  is  noL  of  thee,  or  a 
wish  which  I  could  not  reveal  to  thee. 

Seek  repose.  Quickly  re-establish  your  health.  Come  and 
join  me,  that  at  least,  before  death,  we  may  be  able  to  say, 
"  We  were  many  days  happy."  A  thousand  kisses,  and  one 
even  to  Fortuna,1  notwithstanding  his  spitefulness. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER   IV. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

MARMIEOLO,  July  16,  1796,  two  hours  after  midnight. 

I  have  passed  the  whole  night  under  arms.  I  should  have 
taken  Mantua2  by  a  bold  and  well  directed  blow,  but  the  waters 
of  the  lake  suddenly  fell,  and  my  columns,  which  were  em- 
barked, could  not  reach  their  landing-place.  I  shall  commence 
the  attack  another  way  this  evening,  but  this  will  not  produce 
results  so  satisfactory. 

I  have  received  a  letter  from  Eugene,'  which  I  send  to  you. 

1  A  lap-dog  belonging  to  Josephine. 

a  "Was  the  strongest  fortress  of  Italy.  It  was  situated  on  the  Adige, 
and  surrounded  by  lakes.  It  was  held  by  an  Austrian  garrison,  and 
Napoleon  wag  besieging  it.  • 

3  When  Xapoleon  was  married  to  Josephine  she  was  the  mother  of 


12  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 

I  beg  you  to  write  for  me  to  those  lovely  children,  and  send 
them  some  jewels.  Assure  them  that  I  love  them  as  my  own. 
Those  who  are  connected  with  you  or  with  me,  are  so  blended 
in  my  heart  that  I  know  no  difference. 

I  am  very  anxious  to  know  how  you  are,  and  what  you  are 
doing.  I  have  been  in  the  home  of  Virgil,1  on  the  borders  of 
the  lake,  by  the  clear  silvery  light  of  the  moon,  and  never  a 
moment  did  I  cease  to  think  of  you,  my  Josephine. 

The  enemy  made  a  grand  sortie.  They  killed  or  wounded 
two  hundred  of  our  men ;  they  have  lost  five  hundred  in  re- 
treating with  precipitation. 

I  am  very  well.  I  am  wholly  yours,  my  Josephine,  and  I 
have  neither  pleasure  nor  happiness,  save  in  your  society. 

Three  Neapolitan  regiments  have  arrived  at  Brescia.  They 
are  separated  from  the  Austrian  army  in  consequence  of  the 
agreement  I  have  made  with  M.  Pignatelli.3 

I  have  lost  my  snuff-box.  Will  you  select  me  another, 
rather  flat,  and,  upon  the  lid,  have  some  pretty  device  with 
your  hair  ? 

A  thousand  kisses,  as  ardent  as  you  are  cold.     Love  with- 

two  children,  Eugene  and  Hortense  Beauharnais.  Hortense  subse- 
quently married  Louis  Bonaparte,  and  became  the  mother  of  Louis  Na- 
poleon, her  third  child,  who  is  now  Emperor  of  France.  It  is  remark- 
able that,  notwithstanding  the  fatal  divorce,  the  crown  of  France  has 
descended  to  the  grandchild  of  Josephine.  Eugene  became  one  of  the 
noblest  of  men,  and  his  whole  brilliant  career  was  resplendent  with 
honor.  There  are  but  few  names  on  the  page  of  history  so  spotless  as 
that  of  Eugene  Beauharnais.  When  but  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
joined  the  army  of  Napoleon. 

1  This  celebrated  Latin  poet  was  born  near  Mantua.  Neither  the 
Italians  nor  the  Austrians  had  offered  any  tribute  to  his  memory. 
Napoleon  erected  a  beautiful  monument  in  honor  of  the  illustrious 
bard. 

*  An  embassador  from  Naples.  The  King  of  Naples  had  joined  the 
coalition  against  France.  Alarmed  by  the  success  of  Napoleon,  he  sent 
Prince  Pignatelli  to  treat  for  an  armistice.  By  this  arrangement  the 
Neapolitan  army  of  50,000  men  were  withdrawn  from  co-operation 
with  the  allies. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  13 

out  bounds  and  fidelity  in  every  trial.     Before  Joseph1  leaves  I 
wish  to  speak  to  him.  BONAPARTE. 


.  LETTER  V. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

MARMIROLO,  July  19,  1796. 

For  two  days  I  have  had  no  letters  from  you.  Thirty  times 
to-day  have  I  said  this.  You  know  therefore  that  I  am  very 
sad.  You  can  not  doubt  the  tender  and  absorbing  solicitude 
with  which  you  inspire  me. 

We  attacked  Mantua  yesterday.  We  bombarded  it  from 
two  batteries  with  red-hot  shot  and  shells.  All  night  the 
miserable  city  burned.  The  sight  was  horrible,  imposing.  We 

1  Napftleon's  elder  brother.     Napoleon  said  of  him  at  St.  Helena  : 

"His  virtues  and  talents  are  those  of  a  private  character,  and  for 
such  nature  intended  him.  He  is  too  amiable  to  be  a  great  man ;  he 
has  no  ambition." 

Napoleon  was  ever  exceedingly  attached  to  Joseph.  But  a  year 
before  the  date  of  the  above  letter,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1795,  Napo- 
leon wrote  as  follows  to  Joseph : 

"  Desiree"  (Joseph's  wife's  sister,  who  afterward  married  Bernadotte) 
"  has  requested  of  me  my  portrait.  I  am  about  to  have  it  taken.  You 
will  give  it  to  her  if  she  still  desires  it;  if  not,  you  will  keep  it  yourself. 
In  whatever  circumstances  fortune  may  place  you,  you  know  very  well, 
my  friend,  that  you  can  not  have  a  better  friend,  one  to  whom  you  will 
be  more  dear,  and  who  will  more  sincerely  desire  your  happiness.  Life 
is  a  transient  dream  which  dissipates  itself.  La  vie  est  un  songe  leger 
qui  se  dissipe. 

"If  you  are  about  to  go  away,  and  think  that  you  shall  be  absent 
long,  send  me  your  portrait.  "We  have  lived  so  many  years  together 
so  intimately  united,  that  our  hearts  are  blended  in  one;  and  you 
know  better  than  any  one  how  entirely  mine  is  devoted  to  you.  I  feel, 
in  tracing  these  lines,  an  emotion  of  which  I  have  experienced  few  ex- 
amples during  my  life.  I  fully  understand  that  it  will  be  long  before 
we  shall  again  see  each  other,  and  I  am  not  able  to  continue  my  let- 
ter." 


14  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 

have  possessed  ourselves  of  several  outworks,  and  we  shall  open 
the  tr>  nches  to-night.  I  set  out  for  Castiglione1  to-monow 
with  the  Quartermaster-General,  aud  I  in' end  to  sleep  there. 

I  have  received  a  dispatch  from  Paris.  There  were  two 
letters  for  you ;  I  have  read  them.  However,  although  this 
deed  appears  to  me  very  simple,  and  although  you  gave  me 
permission  the  other  day  to  do  so,  I  fear  that  this  will  displease 
you.  This  grieves  me  much.  I  thought  to  reseal  them,  fie ! 
that  would  be  mean.  If  T  am  blameworthy,  I  ask  pardon. 
I  declare  to  you  I  did  it  not  from  jealousy;  by  no  means. 
I  have  too  liOOil  an  opinion  of  my  adorable  friend  for  that.  I 
wish  that  you  would  give  me  leave  to  read  all  your  letters, 
then  there  would  be  no  anxiety  or  fear. 

Achille0  has  arrived  in  the  mail-coach,  from  Milan.3  No 
letters  from  my  beloved  friend  !  Adieu  my  only  love.  When 
can  you  come  and  join  me  ?  I  wish  I  could  join  you  at  Milan. 

A  thousand  kisses  as  burning  as  my  heart,  as  pure  as  thine  own. 

I  have  sent  for  the  postman ;  he  tells  me  that  he  passed 
your  house,  and  that  you  told  him  you  had  nothing  for  him. 
Fie !  you  wicked,  naughty,  cruel,  beautiful  little  monster ! 
You  laugh  at  my  threats,  at  my  nonsense.  Ah !  if  I  could, 

1  A  town  of  five  thousand  inhabitants,  about  twenty  miles  north- 
west of  Mantua.  It  is  celebrated  for  a  decisive  victor}-  which  Napo- 
leon there  gained  over  the  Austrians,  who  were  marching  for  the  relief 
of  Mantua,  The  battle  was  fought  a  few  days  after  the  date  of  this 
letter.  From  this  battle  Augereau  derived  his  title  of  Duke  of  Castig- 
lione. It  is  said  that  for  six  days  and  nights  preceding  this  battle, 
Napoleon  did  not  take  off  his  boots  or  lie  down  on  a  bed. 

a  A  courier  who  brought  dispatches  to  Napoleon. 

3  This  city  was  the  capital  of  Venetian  Lombardy,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  cities  in  the  world.  It  contained  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants.  "  Milan,"  says  Raumer,  "  stands  in  a  sea  of 
green  trees,  as  Venice  in  a  sea  of  green  waters."  The  French  army  was 
in  such  peril  at  Mantua,  that  it  was  not  safe  for  Josephine  to  be  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  contending  armies,  and  Napoleon  consequently  left  her 
a  hundred  miles  distant  at  Milan.  It  was  in  this  city  that  Napoleon 
was  subsequently  crowned  King  of  Italy. 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  15 

you  know  very  well  I  would  inclose  you  in  my  heart ;  I  would 
imprison  you  there. 

Tell  me  that  you  are  happy,  well,  and  very  loving. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

CASTIGLIONE,  July  21,  1796;  8  o'clock,  A.M. 

I  hope  that  on  arriving1  this  evening',  I  shall  receive  one  of 
your  letters.  You  know,  my  dear  Josep'iine,  how  much  pleas- 
ure they  give  me,  and  I  am  sure  you  enjoy  writing;  them.  I 
shall  leave  this  night  for  Peschiera,  for  the  mountains,  for  Ve- 
rona, and  from  thence  I  shall  go  to  Mantua,  and  perhaps  to 
Milan  to  receive  a  kiss,  since  you  assure  me  that  they  are  not 
frozen.  I  hope  that  you  will  be  perfectly  well  then,  and  that 
you  can  accompany  me  to  my  head-quarters,  no  more  to  leave 
me.  Are  you  not  the  soul  of  my  life,  and  the  joy  of  my 
heart? 

Your  protegees1  are  veiy  gay ;  they  feel  very  happy.  How 
grateful  I  am  to  them  for  rendering  you  those  attentions  which 
make  you  happy.  They  shall  come  to  Milan.  In  every  situ- 
ation we  need  some  patience. 

Adieu,  thou  beautiful  and  good  one,  all  unequaled,  all  divine ; 
a  thousand  loving  kisses.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

CASTIGLIONE,  July  22,  1796. 

The  wants  of  the  army  require  my  presence  in  this  region. 
It  is  impossible  I  should  le:ive  even  to  go  to  Milan.     It  would 
require  five  or  six  days,  and  during  that  time  it  might  be  that 
1  Two  young  ladios  who  were  companions  of  Josephine. 


16  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS     OF 

something  would  occur  imperiously  demanding  my  presence 
here. 

You  assure  me  that  your  health  is  good.  I  entreat  you, 
therefore,  to  come  to  Brescia.  I  will,  at  the  same  time,  send 
Murat1  to  prepare  lodgings  for  you  in  the  city,  as  you  desire. 

I  think  you  had  best  sleep  the  6th  at  Cassano,  setting  out 
rather  late  from  Milan.  Come  the  7th  to  Brescia,  where  the 
most  affectionate  of  lovers  waits  for  you.  I  am  deeply  grieved, 
my  dear  friend,  that  you  can  believe  that  my  heart  can  open 
itself  to  any  one  save  to  you.  This  heart  belongs  to  you  by 
right  of  conquest,  and  that  conquest  will  be  solid  and  eternal. 

I  know  not  why  you  allude  to  Madame  T ,  for  whom  I 

care  very  little,  as  also  for  all  the  women  of  Brescia.  As  to 
the  letters  which  it  grieves  you  that  I  opened,  they  will  be  the 
last ;  your  letter  had  not  then  arrived. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  friend;  let  me  often  hear  from  you. 
Come  quickly  and  join  me ;  be  happy  and  without  anxiety. 
Every  thing  goes  well,  and  my  heart  is  yours  for  life. 

Take  care  to  return  to  Adjutant-General  Miollis2  the  casket 
of  medals  which  he  writes  me  he  has  sent  you.  Men  are  so 
censorious  and  so  bad,  that  we  must  adopt  one  rule  toward 
all. 

1  Murat,  the  son  of  an  innkeeper,  became  Napoleon's  most  conspic- 
uous cavalry  officer.     He  accompanied  Napoleon  to  Egypt,  and  served 
him  thVough  most  of  his  campaigns.     He  married  Napoleon's  sister 
Caroline,  and  was  made  Marshal  of  France,  and  was  subsequently 
placed  by  Napoleon  upon  the  throne  of  Naples,  after  the  transfer  of 
Joseph  to  Spain.     In  the  dark  days  of  the  Emperor's  misfortunes  Mu- 
rat ungratefully  forsook'him.     After  the  return  of  Napoleon  from  Elba, 
Murat  made  an  attempt  to  regain  the  throne  of  Naples,  but  he  was 
taken  and  shot.     One  of  his  sons,  Lucien,  now  occupies  a  conspicuous 
post  under  the  government  of  Louis  Napoleon. 

2  An  efficient  officer  under  Napoleon.    During  a  part  of  the  siege  of 
Mantua,  he  had  command  of  a  small  fortress.     The  Austrian  general 
Provera,  with  six  thousand  Austrian  troops,  presented  himself  before 
the  fortress  and  demanded  a  surrender.     Napoleon  hastened  to  the  aid 
of  his  general,  and  so  arranged  his  forces  as  to  surround  Provera.    Miol- 
lis then  made  a  sortie,  and  the  Austrians  were  compelled  to  surrender. 


NAPOLEON     TO    JOSEPHINE.  17 

Health  to  you,  love,  and  a  speedy  arrival  at  Brescia. 

I  have  a  carriage  at  Milan  either  for  the  city  or  the  country. 
You  will  take  that  to  come  to  me.  Bring  with  you  your 
plate,  and  those  articles  which  you  will  most  need.  Take 
short  journeys,  and  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  that  you  be  not 
fatigued.  The  army  needs  only  three  days  to  reach  Brescia.1 
The  post  comes  from  there  in  fourteen  hours.  I  advise  you  to 
sleep  the  24th  at  Cassano.  I  will  go  to  meet  you  on  the  25th 
as  far  on  as  possible. 

Adieu,  my  Josephine.     A  thousand  tender  kisses. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  VIII. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

BRESCIA,  August  10,  1796 

I  have  arrived  here,  my  adorable  friend.  My  first  thought 
is  to  write  to  you.  Your  health  and  your  image  have  not 
been  out  of  my  mind  for  one  moment  during  the  whole  way. 
I  shall  not  be  happy  until  I  have  received  letters  from  you. 
I  wait  for  them  with  impatience.  It  is  not  possible  that  you 
can  realize  my  distress.  I  left  you  sad,  distressed,  and  half 
sick.  If  love,  the  most  profound  and  the  most  tender,  could 
render  you  happy,  you  would  be  so.  I  am  overwhelmed  with 
business. 

Adieu,  my  sweet  Josephine ;  love  me,  take  care  of  your 
health,  and  think  often,  often  of  me.  BONAPARTE. 

1  Josephine  and  Napoleon  met  at  Brescia.  But  the  whole  region 
was  swept  by  surging  armies;  and  after  a  few  hurried  interviews,  con- 
tinued through  three  or  four  days,  Josephine  returned  to  Milan.  As 
she  was  entering  her  carriage  to  depart,  a  wagon  loa'led  with  wounded 
soldiers  passed  by.  The  awful  spectacle  touched  the  heart  of  Joseph- 
ine. She  threw  herself  upon  the  neck  of  her  husband  and  wept  bit- 
terly. "Wurmser,"  said  Napoleon,  "shall  pay  dearly  for  these  tears 
which  he  causes  thee  to  shed." 


18  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     Of 

LETTER  IX. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

BRESCIA,  August  31. 

I  set  out  in  a  moment  for  Verona.  I  did  hope  to  receive  a 
letter  from  you.  This  distresses  me  greatly.  You  were  a  little 
sick  at  the  time  of  my  leaving.  I  beseech  you  do  not  leave 
me  in  such  suspense.  You  promised  me  more  punctuality. 
Your  language  agreed  then  with  your  heart.  How  can  you, 
to  whom  nature  has  given  sweetness,  amenity,  and  all  that 
pleases,  how  can  you  forget  him  who  loves  you  so  ardently  ? 
Three  days  with  no  letter  from  you !  I  have,  nevertheless, 
written  you  several  times.  Absence  is  horrible — the  nights 
are  long,  dreary,  wearisome ;  the  day  is  monotonous. 

To-day,  alone  with  my  thoughts,  my  labors,  my  writing, 
with  men  and  their  pompous  projects,  I  have  not  even  a  note 
from  you  to  press  to  my  heart. 

The  quartermaster-general  has  gone.  I  go  in  an  hour.  I 
have  received  to-night  an  express  from  Paris ;  there  was  for 
you  only  the  inclosed  letter,  which  will  gratify  you. 

Think  pf  me  ;  live  for  me  ;  be  often  with  thy  well-beloved, 
and  believe  that  there  can  be  only  one  single  evil  which  can 
appall  him — that  will  be,  no  more  to  be  loved  by  his  Joseph- 
ine. A  thousand  kisses,  very  tender,  very  affectionate,  very 
exclusive. 

Desire  M.  Monclas  to  set  out  immediately  for  Verona.  I 
will  procure  him  a  situation.  He  ought  to  arrive  in  four 
days.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

ALA,  September  3,  1796. 

We  are  in  full  campaign,  my  adorable  friend.     We  have 
overthrown  the  outposts  of  the  enemy.     We  have  taken  from 


NAPOLEOX      TO      JOSEPHINE.  19 

them  eight  or  ten  horses,  with  an  equal  number  of  horsemen. 
The  troops  are  in  fine  spirits,  and  well  disposed.  I  hope  we 
shall  do  well,  and  enter  Trent1  on  the  5th. 

No  letters  from  you ;  this  distresses  me  truly.  I  am  assured 
that  you  are  well,  and  that  you  have  made  an  excursion  to  the 
lake  of  Como."  I  wait  every  day,  and  with  impatience,  the 
courier,  who  will  bring  me  news  from  you.  You  know  how 
dear  your  letters  are  to  me.  I  do  not  live  when  far  from 
you  ;  the  happiness  of  life  is  near  my  sweet  Josephine,  Think 
of  me.  Write  to  me  often,  very  often  ;  it  is  the  only  relief  for 
absence ;  separation  is  cruel,  but  I  hope  that  it  will  be  but 
momentary.  BONAPAKTE. 


LETTER  XL 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

MILAN,  September  6,  IT 96. 

Monsieur  the  Duke  of  Serbelloni  leaves  this  instant  for  Paris, 
and  has  promised  me,  my  dear  Hortense,3  to  go,  the  day  after 
his  arrival,  to  St.  Germain.  He  will  tell  you  how  often  I 
speak  of  you,  how  much  I  think  of  you,  and  how  dearly  I 
love  you.  Eugene  shares  with  you  in  these  sentiments,  my 
beloved  child.  I  love  you  both  to  adoration. 

1  An  important  walled  town,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  the  head  of 
Lake  Garda.  It  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  Austrian  army.  The 
Austrians  were  marching  down  from  Trent  to  raise  the  seige  of  Milan. 
Napoleon  made  a  rush  upon  them,  and  scattered  them  like  a  whirl- 
wind. 

*  The  lake  of  Corno  is  a  very  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  embosomed 
among  the  mountains  but  a  few 'miles  from  Milan.  Italy,  renowned  as 
it  is  for  enchanting  scenery,  can  present  nothing  more  fascinating  than 
the  drives  from  Milan  to  the  lakes  Como  and  Maggiore.  Napoleon  and 
Josephine,  after  the  capitulation  of  Mantua,  made  frequent  visits  to 
these  lakes,  and  in  their  charming  solitude  found  a  delightful  retreat 
from  the  gayety  and  display  of  Milan. 

3  Hortense  was  at  this  time  in  the  school  of  Madame  Campan,  at  St 
Germain,  a  few  miles  out  from  Paris. 


20  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 

M.  Serbelloni  will  present  to  you,  on  the  part  of  Bonaparte 
and  myself,  some  little  souvenirs  for  yourself,  Emilie,  Eugene, 
and  Jerome. 

Give  my  kindest  remembrance  to  Madam  Campan.  I  in- 
tend to  send  her  a  collection  of  beautiful  engravings  and  draw- 
ings from  Italy. 

Embrace,  for  me,  my  beloved  Eugene,  Emilie1  and  Jerome.4 
Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense,  my  cherished  daughter  ;  think  often 
of  your  mother,  write  to  her  often.  Your  letters  and  those 
of  your  brother  console  her  in  being  absent  from  her  beloved 
children.  Again,  adieu — I  embrace  you  most  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XII. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN.  ' 

MoNTEBELLO,3  September  10,  1796;  at  noon. 

The  enemy  has  lost,  my  dear  friend,  eighteen  thousand  pris- 
oners ;  the  rest  are  killed  or  wounded.  Wurmser,4  with  a 
column  of  fifteen  hundred  horse,  and  five  thousand  infantry, 
has  no  resource  left  him  but  to  fall  back  into  Mantua. 

Never  have  we  had  such  continued  and  such  brilliant  suc- 
cess.6 Italy,  Friuli,  and  the  Tyrol,  are  secured  to  the  Republic. 
The  Emperor8  must  raise  another  army  :  we  have  taken  every 
thing;  all  the  artillery,  bridge-equipage,  baggage. 

1  Daughter  of  the  Marquis  Beauharnais,  afterward  married  to  M. 
Lavalette. 
a  The  youngest  brother  of  Napoleo'h,  afterward  king  of  Westphalia. 

3  A  pretty  town  but  a  few  miles  from  Milan.     At  a  bloody  battle 
fought  in  the  vicinity,  General  Lannes  distinguished  himself,  and  re- 
ceived the  title  of  the  Duke  of  Montobello. 

4  The  general-in-chief  then  in  command  of  the  Austrian  forces. 

5  The  success  refers  to  the  wonderful  victories  of  Roveredo,  Bassano, 
and  St.  George. 

6  Of  Austria. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  21 

In  a  few  days  we  shall  meet.  This  is  the  sweetest  reward 
of  my  fatigues  and  sufferings.  A  thousand  warm  and  affec- 
tionate kisses.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XIII. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 
KONGO,1  September  12,  1796;  10  o'clock,  A.  M. 

I  have  been  here  for  two  days,  my  dear  Josephine,  badly 
lodged,  badly  fed,  and  very  much  vexed  at  being  so  far  from  you. 
Wurmser  is  surrounded  ;  he  has  with  him  three  thousand  cav- 
alry, and  five  thousand  infantry.  He  is  at  Porto  Legnano  ;  he 
desires  to  retire  into  Mantua ;  but  that  now  is  impossible  for 
him.  The  very  moment  this  business  terminates,  I  will  be  in 
your  arms. 

I  embrace  you  a  million  times.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XIV. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN.3 

ARCOLA,  September  17,  1796. 

My  adored  Josephine !  at  length  I  live  again.  Death  is  no 
longer  before  me,  and  glory  and  honor  are  still  in  my  breast. 

1  A  small  town  on  the  Adige,  at  which  place  Napoleon  crossed  the 
river  by  a  bridge,  thus  coming  upon  the  rear  of  the  Austrians  as  they 
were  about  to  scale  the  walls  of  Verona.  He  was  unassailable  himself 
at  Ronco,  and  had  a  view  of  the  whole  hostile  army.  This  letter  was 
written  upon  the  eve  of  the  terrific  battle  of  Arcola. 

a  This  letter  was  written  upon  the  blood-stained  battle-field  of  Ar- 
cola, at  the  moment  when  the  Austrians  fled  in  wild  confusion  before 
then*  victors.  This  was  one  of  the  most  amazing  of  Napoleon's  victo- 
ries, and  it  rescued  the  French  army  from  otherwise  utter  ruin. 

The  above  letter  is  not  found  in  the  Paris  collection  to  which  we  have 
referred,  but  is  obtained  from  another  source  equally  authentic. 

In  reference  to  this  battle  Bourienne  says ;  "  By  the  battle  of  Arcola, 


22  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 

The  enemy  is  beaten.  Soon  Mantua  will  be  ours.  Then  thy 
husband  will  fold  thee  in  his  arms,  and  give  thee  a  thousand 
proofs  of  his  ardent  affection.  I  am  a  little  fatigued.  I  have 
received  letters  from  Eugene  and  Hortense.  I  ain  delighted 
with  the  children.  Adieu,  my  adorable  Josephine.  Think  of 
me  often.  Should  your  heart  grow  cold  toward  me,  you  will 
be  indeed  cruel  and  unjust.  But  I  am  sure  that  you  will  al- 
ways continue  my  faithful  friend,  as  I  shall  ever  continue  your 
fond  lover.  Death  alone  can  break  the  union  which  love, 
sentiment,  and  sympathy  have  formed.  Let  me  have  news  of 
your  health.  A  thousand  and  a  thousand  kisses. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XV. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

VERONA,  September  17,  1196. 

I  write  you",  my  beloved  one,  very  often,  and  you  write  very 
little.  You  are  wicked  and  naughty,  very  naughty,  as  much 
so  as  you  are  fickle.  It  is  unfaithful  so  to  deceive  a  poor  hus- 
band, a  tender  lover  !  Ought  he  to  lose  all  his  enjoyments 
because  he  is  far  away,  borne  down  with  toil,  fatigue,  and 
hardship  ?  Without  his  Josephine,  without  the  assurance  of 
her  love,  what  is  left  him  upon  earth  ?  what  can  he  do  ? 

We  had  yesterday  a  very  bloody  affair ;  the  enemy  has  lost 
many  men,  and  has  been  completely  beaten.  We  have  taken 
the  whole  country  around  Mantua. 

Adieu,  adorable  Josephine ;  one  of  these  nights  your  door 

where  the  loss  on  both  sides  was  immense,  the  French  gained  every 
advantage  proposed  by  their  wonderful  leader,  who  remained  for  two 
months  the  undisputed  possessor  of  Lombardy;  while  he  had  struck 
the  Austrians  with  an  idea  of  his  invincibility,  from  which  they  did 
not  recover  for  years.  It  was  the  hardest  fought  battle  in  all  the  war, 
and  the  one  in  which  Bonaparte  showed  most  personal  courage, 
was  nothing  to  Arcola." 


Lodi 


NAPOLEON      TO     JOSEPHINE.  23 

•will  open  with  a  great  noise  ;  as  a  jealous  person,  and  you  will 
find  me  in  your  arms. 

A  thousand  loving  kisses.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XVI. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

MODENA,1  October  17  ;  9  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  was  out  in  the  country  all  the  day,  day  before  yesterday. 
Yesterday  I  kept  my  bed.  Fever  and  a  violent  headache,  all 
that,  prevented  me  from  writing  to  my  adorable  friend.  But 
I  have  received  her  letters,  and  I  have  pressed  them  to  my 
heart  and  lips,  and  the  grief  of  absence,  a  hundred  miles  of 
distance,  have  disappeared.  At  that  moment  I  saw  you  near 
me,  not  capricious  and  sad,  but  gentle,  lovely,  with  that  unc- 
tion of  kindness  which  is  exclusively  the  portion  of  my  Joseph- 
ine. It  was  a  dream ;  judge  if  that  has  cured  me  of  the  fever. 

Your  letters  are  cold  as  fifty  years.  They  resemble  fifteen 
years  after  marriage.  One  sees  in  them  the  sentiments  and 
the  friendship  of  that  winter  of  life.  Fie,  Josephine !  It  is 
very  wicked,  very  bad,  very  traitorous  in  you.  What  more 
can  you  do  to  give  me  cause  to  complain  ?  To  love  me  no 
more  ?  Ab,  that  is  already  done.  To  hate  me  ?  Very  well ; 
I  wish  it.  Every  thing  debases  except  hatred.  But  indiffer- 
ence, witb  pulse  of  marble,  with  fixed  eye  and  measured  step — 

A  thousand,  thousand  kisses,  very  loving,  as  my  heart.  I 
am  pretty  well.  I  leave  to-morrow.  The  English  evacuate 
the  Mediterranean.  Corsica3  is  ours.  Good  news  for  France 
and  for  the  army.  BONAPARTE. 

1  The  capital  of  an  Italian  duchy  of  the  same  name.      It  had  been 
subject  to  Austrian  rule.     The  inhabitants  welcomed  Napoleon  as  a 
liberator. 

2  The  birth-place  of  Napoleon.     When  but  a  few  years  before  the 
English  had  invaded  Corsica  and  wrested  it  from  France,  Napoleon, 


24  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 


LETTER  XVII. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   MILAN. 

VERONA,  November  9,  1796. 

I  arrived  at  Verona  day  before  yesterday,  my  dearest  love. 
Though  fatigued  I  am  very  well;  much  prospered,  and  I  love 
you  always  passionately.  I  mount  my  horse.  I  embrace  you 
a  thousand  times.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XVIII. 

TO  JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

VERONA,  November  13,  1796. 

I  do  not  love  you  at  all ;  on  the  contrary,  I  detest  you. 
You  are  a  naughty  woman,  very  crooked,  very  unfeeling,  very 
ungenerous.  Tu  es  une  vilaine,  bien  gauche,  bien  bete,  bien  cen- 
drillon.  You  do  not  write  me  at  all.  You  do  not  love  your 
husband.  You  know  the  pleasure  which  your  letters  give, 
and  yet  you  do  not  write  him  six  lines  thrown  together  by 
chance. 

In  what  way  do  you  employ  yourself  all  day,  madame  ? 
What  affair  so  pressing  robs  you  of  the  time  for  writing  to 
your  faithful  lover  ?  What  affection  interferes,  and  puts  one 
side  the  love,  the  tender  and  constant  love,  which  you  prom- 
ised him  ?  Who  can  this  wonderful  personage  be,  this  new 
lover,  who  absorbs  all  your  time,  occupies  your  days,  and  pre- 
vents you  from  devoting  yourself  to  your  husband  ?  Joseph- 
ine, take  care !  some  fine  night  the  door  will  be  thrown  open, 
and  behold  me ! 

Seriously  though,  my  beloved  one,  I  am  uneasy  not  to  hear 
from  you.  Write  me  very  soon  of  those  kind  and  pleasant 
things  which  fill  my  heart  with  affection  and  pleasure. 

with  his  mother  and  the  rest  of  the  family,  escaped  in  a  boat  by  night. 
Napoleon  fitted  out  an  expedition  from  Leghorn,  which  was  entirely 
successful,  and  which  reconquered  Corsica  from  the  English. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  25 

I  hope  in  a  little  time  I  shall  fold  you  in  my  arms,  and  I 
will  cover  you  with  a  million  of  kisses,  burning  as  under  the 
equator.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XIX. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    MILAN. 

VERONA,  November  24,  1796. 

I  hope  very  soon,  my  sweet  love,  to  bo  in  your  amis.  I 
love  you  most  passionately  (d  lafureur}.  I  write  to  Paris  by 
this  courier.  All  goes  well.  Wurmser  was  beaten  yesterday 
under  Mantua.  There  is  nothing  wanted  by  your  husband 
but  the  love  of  Josephine,  in  order  to  be  happy. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XX. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    GENOA.1 
MILAN,  November  27,  1796;  3  hours  after  midnight. 

I  arrive  at  Milan.  I  rush  to  your  room ;  I  have  left  every 
thing  to  see  you,  to  press  you  in  my  arms — you  were  nol 
there.  You  run  about  the  cities  with  the  fetes ;  you  go  away 
from  me  when  I  come  ;  you  no  longer  care  for  your  dear  ISTa- 
poleon.  Caprice  caused  you  to  love  him,  inconstancy  renders 
you  indifferent  to  him. 

Accustomed  to  dangers,  I  know  the  remedy  for  the  weari- 
ness and  the  evils  of  life.  The  wretchedness  I  endure  is  in- 
calculable. I  had  a  right  not  to  expect  this. 

I  shall  be  here  until  some  time  during  the  9th.  Do  not 
alter  your  plans,  seek  pleasure ;  happiness  is  made  for  you. 

3  What  led  Josephine  thus  suddenly  to  go  to  Genoa,  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  from  Milan,  wo  are  not  informed.  It  is  evident,  how- 
ever, from  this  letter,  and  the  succeeding  one,  that  Napoleon  was 
deeply  wounded 

2 


26  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS     OF 

The  whole  world  is  too  happy  if  it  gratify  you  ;  and  your  hus- 
band alone  is  very,  very  unhappy.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XXI. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT    GENOA. 

MILAN,  November  28,  1796. 

I  have  received  the  express  which  Berthier  had  dispatched 
from  Genoa.  You  had  not  time  to  write  me.  I  feel  it  sensi- 
bly. Surrounded  by  gayety  and  amusements,  you  would  have 
done  wrong  to  have  made  the  slightest  sacrifice  for  me. 

Berthier  has  much  wished  to  show  me  the  letter  which  you 
have  written  him.  It  is  not  my  wish  that  you  should  alter 
any  of  your  plans,  or  decline  the  parties  of  pleasure  which  are 
offered  you.  I  am  not  worth  the  sacrifice ;  and  the  happiness 
or  misery  of  a  man  you  can  not  love,  ought  not  to  concern 
you. 

As  for  me,  to  love  you  alone,  to  make  you  happy,  to  do 
nothing  which  would  contradict  your  wishes,  this  is  my  destiny 
and  the  aim  of  my  life.  Be  happy,  do  not  concern  yourself 
about  me,  do  not  interest  yourself  in  the  happiness  of  a  man 
who  lives  only  in  your  life,  who  enjoys  only  your  pleasures, 
your  happiness.  When  I  require  from  you  love  such  as  mine,  I 
do  wrong ;  why  should  I  wish  that  lace  (dentelle)  should  weigh 
as  much  as  gold.  When  I  sacrifice  to  you  all  my  desires, 
all  my  thoughts,  all  the  moments  of  my  life,  I  yield  to  the 
ascendency  which  your  charms,  your  character,  your  whole 
being  has  gained  over  my  wretched  heart.  I  am  wrong  if 
nature  has  not  given  me  attractions  to  fascinate  you ;  but  what 
I  do  deserve  from  Josephine  is  her  esteem,  her  respect ;  for  I 
love  her  alone,  and  most  passionately. 

Adieu,. adorable  wife,  adieu,  my  Josephine.  Let  fate  con- 
centrate in  my  heart  all  sorrows,  and  all  griefs ;  but  may  days 
of  prosperity  and  joy  be  given  to  my  Josephine.  Who  merits 
it  more  than  she  ?  When  it  shall  be  proved  that  she  can  love 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  27 

no  more,  I  will  conceal  my  profound  grief,  and  I  will  content 
myself  with  being  useful  and  of  some  advantage  to  her. 

I  re-open  my  letter  to  give  you  one  kiss.    Ah  !  Josephine  ! 
Josephine !  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER   XXII. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   BOLOGNA.1 

FERLV^  February  3,3  1797. 

I  have  written  to  you  this  morning.  I  leave  to-night.  Our 
troops  are  at  Rimini.4  The  country  begins  to  be  quiet.  I  am 
continually  annoyed  by  my  cold.  I  adore  you,  and  give  you 
a  thousand  kisses.  My  love  to  my  sister.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XXIII. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT    BOLOGNA. 

AxcoNA,5  February  10,  1797. 

We  have  been  at  Ancona  for  two  days.     We  took  the  cita- 
del after  a  slight  discharge  of  musketry,  and  by  surprise.    We 

1  Josephine  accompanied  Napoleon  in  this  expedition  into  the  Papal 
States,  as  far  as  the  city  of  Bologna,  about  one  hundred  miles  from 
Mantua,      Here  she  remained,  while  Napoleon   advanced   with   his 
troops. 

2  A  small  town  on  the  road  to  Rome. 

3  It  will  be  perceived  that  more  than  two  months  have  elapsed  be* 
tweeu  the  date  of  this  letter  and  that  of  the  preceding.    In  the  mean 
time  Mantua  had  capitulated,  and  Napoleon  had  indulged  in  the  luxury 
of  spendiug  a  few  days  with  Josephine  at  Milan.     He  was  now  again 
upon  the  march  toward  Rome,  to  compel  the  Pope  to  make  peace  with 
France. 

4  Rimini  was  an  important  city  of  the  Papal  States,  near  the  shores 
of  the  Adriatic,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  Bologna. 

5  A  large  town  on  the  Adriatic,  about  one  hundred  aud  fifty  miles 
beyond  Bologna,  on  the  way  to  Rome. 


28  CONFIDENTIAL      LETTERS     OF 

took  twelve  hundred  prisoners.  I  have  sent  back  the  fifty 
officers1  to  their  homes. 

I  am  still  at  Ancona.  I  do  not  send  for  you  to  come,  for  all 
is  not  yet  settled,  but  in  a  few  days  I  hope  all  will  be  con- 
cluded. Besides,  this  country  is  very  dull,  and  every  one  is 
afraid. 

To-morrow  I  leave  for  the  mountains.  You  do  not  write 
me  at  all ;  still  you  ought  to  give  me  news  of  you,  every  day. 
I  entreat  you  to  go  to  walk  every  day,  it  will  do  you  good.  I 
give  you  a  million  of  kisses. 

I  was  never  so  heartily  tired  as  by  this  infamous  war. 
Adieu,  my  sweet  friend  ;  think  of  me.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XXIV. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   BOLOGNA. 

ANCONA,  February  13,  1797. 

I  receive  no  letters  from  you.  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  love 
me  no  longer.  I  have  sent  you  some  newspapers,  and  several 
letters.  I  leave  this  very  moment  to  pass  the  mountains.11  As 
soon  as  matters  are  settled  I  will  send  for  you  to  come  to  me. 
It  is  the  dearest  wish  of  my  heart.  A  thousand  and  a  thou- 
sand kisses.  BONAPARTE. 

1  It  was  on  this  memorable  occasion  that  Xapoieon  assembled  these 
officers,  and  frankly  informing  them  that  he  was  contending  solely  for 
the  independence  of  France,  set  them  all  at  liberty.     They  were  so  im- 
pressed with  the  justice  of  his  cause,  and  with  his  magnanimity,  that 
most  of  them  became  his  devoted  friends.     All  the  other  prisoners  were 
likewise  set  free.     "I  am  the  friend,"  said  Napoleon,  "of  all  the  na- 
tions of  Italy,  and  particularly  of  the  people  of  Rome.     You  are  free. 
Return  to  your  families,  and  tell  them  that  the  French  are  the  friends 
of  religion,  order,  and  the  poor.' 

2  The  Appenines,  which  run  through  the  center  of  Italy.     It  was 
necessary  to  cross  these  mountains  in  going  from  Ancona  to  Rome. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  29 


LETTER  XXV. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT   BOLOGNA.1 

February  16,  1797. 

You  are  sad,  you  are  sick,  you  write  me  no  more,  you  wish 
to  go  from  hence  to  Paris.  Do  you  no  longer  love  your 
friend  ?  Tins  thought  renders  me  wretched.  My  sweet  love, 
life  is  to  me  insupportable  since  I  have  been  informed  of  your 
sorrow. 

I  hasten  to  send  Moscati"  to  you,  so  that  he  may  attend  you. 
My  health  is  rather  feeble  :  my  cold  still  continues.  I  beseech 
you  to  take  care  of  yourself,  to  love  me  as  much  as  I  love  you, 
and  to  write  me  every  day.  My  solicitude  is  unequaled. 

I  have  told  Moscati  to  accompany  you  to  Ancona,  if  you 
wish  to  go  there.  I  will  write  you  there  that  you  may  know 
where  I  am. 

Perhaps  I  shall  conclude  a  peace  with  the  Pope,  and  then 
I  shall  soon  be  near  you  ;  this  is  the  most  intense  wish  of  my 
soul. 

I  give  you  a  hundred  kisses.  Believe  me  that  nothing 
equals  my  love,  unless  it  be  my  anxiety.  Write  me  every 
day  yourself.  Adieu,  my  dearly  beloved. 

BONAPARTE. 

1  This  letter  was  written  from  among  the  mountains  as  Napoleon 
was  crossing  them  with  his  troops. 

2  A  celebrated  Italian  physician.     He  earnestly  espoused  the  cause 
of  Republican  liberty.     Napoleon  subsequently  appointed  him  one  of 
the  Directors  of  the  Cisalpine  Republic.     Moscati,  devoted  to  his  pro- 
fession, declined.     Napoleon  replied,  "  If  honest  men  refuse,  I  must  ap- 
point knaves."    Moscati,  therefore,  accepted  the  appointment.    He  was 
afterward  one  of  the  deputies  who  went  to  Lyons  to  offer  Napoleon  the 
crown  of  Italy.     He  was  a  devoted  friend  of  the  Viceroy  Eugene,  and 
alike  illustrious  for  his  scientific  attainments  and  for  his  lofty  character. 
His  social  virtues  and  his  polished  manners  made  him  an  ornament  to 
gociety,  and  he  died,  universally  regretted,  in  the  year  1824. 


80  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS      OF 

LETTER  XXVI. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   BOLOGNA. 

TOLENTINO,1  February  19,  1797. 

Peace  with  Rome  has  been  signed.  Bologna,  Ferrara, 
Romagna  are  ceded  to  the  Republic.2  The  Pope  gives  us 
thirty  millions  (of  francs)  in  a  short  time,  and  some  works  of 
art. 

1  A  town  not  many  miles  from  Rome,  celebrated  ^as  the  spot  where 
Pope  Pius  VI.  concluded  a  peace  with  Napoleon.   The  treaty  of  Tolen- 
tino  is  widely  renowned  in  history.     The  armies  of  thePope  were  thus 
separated  from  the  coalition  with  England  and  Austria  against  France. 

2  The  Cispadane  Republic,  which  several  of  the  Italian  States  had 
established,  under  the  protection  of  Napoleon,  after  he  had  expelled 
the  Austrians. 

At  Tolentino  Napoleon  performed  a  characteristic  act  of  humanity, 
which  is  thus  recorded  by  Thiers : 

"  Before  he  left  Tolentino  he  performed  a  remarkable  act,  and  one 
which  demonstrated  his  personal  policy  thus  early  in  his  career.  Italy, 
and  the  Papal  States  in  particular,  were  full  of  exiled  French  priests. 
These  unfortunate  men,  retired  in  convents,  were  not  always  received 
there  with  much  charity.  The  ordinances  of  •  the  Directory  forbade 
their  stay  in  countries  occupied  by  our  armies;  and  the  Italian  monks 
were  not  sorry  to  be  delivered  from  them  by  the  approach  of  our  troops. 
These  unfortunate  men  were  reduced  to  despair.  Long  separated  from 
their  country,  exposed  to  all  the  disdain  of  foreigners,  they  wept  at  the 
sight  of  our  soldiers.  They  even  recognized  some  of  them  whose  pas- 
tors they  had  been  in  the  villages  of  France. 

"  Bonaparte  was  easily  moved ;  besides  he  was  anxious  to  appear 
exempt  from  every  kind  of  revolutionary  and  religious  prejudice.  He 
issued  an  order  commanding  all  the  convents  of  the  Holy  See  to  receive 
the  French  priests,  to  subsist  them,  and  to  give  them  pay.  Thus, 
instead  of  putting  them  to  flight,  he  improved  their  condition.  He 
wrote  to  the  Directory,  explaining  the  motives  which  had  induced  him 
to  commit  this  violation  of  its  ordinances. 

"'By  continually  hunting  down  these  unfortunate  men,'  said  he, 
'  you  force  them  to  return  home.  It  is  better  that  they  should  be  in 
Italy  than  in  France.  They  will  be  useful  to  us  here.  They  are  less 
fanatical  than  the  Italian  priests.  They  will  enlighten  the  people,  who 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  31 

I  leave  to-morrow  for  Ancona,  and  from  thence  for  Rimini, 
Ravenna,  and  Bologna.  If  your  health  will  permit  you,  come 
to  Rimini  or  Ravenna ;  but  take  care  of  yourself,  I  beseech 
you. 

Not  one  word  from  your  hand.  Bon  Dieu,  what  then  have 
I  done  ?  To  think  only  of  you,  to  love  Josephine,  to  live  only 
for  my  wife,  to  enjoy  only  the  happiness  of  my  beloved,  ought 
this  to  merit  from  her  such  severe  treatment  ?  My  love,  I 
conjure  you,  think  of  me  often,  and  write  me  every  day. 
You  are  sick  or  you  do  not  love  me.  Think  you  that  my 
heart  is  of  marble  ?  And  my  sorrows,  do  they  interest  you 
so  little  ?  You  must  know  me  very  little.  I  can  not  believe 
that — you  to  whom  nature  has  given  intellect,  amiability,  and 
loveliness ;  you  who  alone  can  reign  in  my  heart ;  you  who 
know  too  well,  undoubtedly,  the  absolute  empire  you  have 
over  me.  Write  to  me,  think  of  me,  love  me.  For  life 
wholly  thine.  BONAPARTE. 


We  have  no  letters  from  Napoleon  to  Josephine  during  the 
continuance  of  this  Italian  campaign.  He  was  with  her  after- 
ward most  of  the  time.  The  following  letter  from  Josephine 
to  Hortense  interestingly  exhibits  the  feelings  of  this  most 
lovely  of  women  at  this  period  of  her  life. 

LETTER  XXVII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

MANTUA,  March  6,  1797. 

I  am  very  well,  ray  dear  Hortense.  For  six  days  I  have 
had  no  fever.  I  was  a  little  sick  at  Boulogne ;  moreover  I  am 
weary  of  Italy,  notwithstanding  all  the  fetes  they  give  me,  and 

are  excited  by  all  means  against  us.     Besides  they  weep  on  seeing  us. 
How  is  it  possible  not  to  pity  their  misfortunes  ?' 

"  The  Directory  approved  of  his  conduct.  This  act  and  this  letter 
were  published,  and  produced  a  very  strong  sensation." 


32  CONFIDENTIAL      LETTERS. 

the  flattering  welcome  which  I  receive  from  the  inhabitants 
of  this  beautiful  country.  I  can  not  accustom  myself  to  be 
separated  for  so  long  a  time  from  my  beloved  children.  I  feel 
the  need  of  pressing  them  to  my  heart.  I  have,  however, 
reason  to  hope  that  that  moment  is  not  far  distant,  and  that 
thought  contributes  much  to  restore  me  from  my  recent  sick- 
ness. 

At  the  first  favorable  opportunity  I  will  send  you  a  charm- 
ing necklace,  after  the  antique,  with  corresponding  ear-rings 
and  bracelets. 

Apply  yourself,  I  pray  you,  to  drawing.  I  will  bring  you 
some  beautiful  patterns,  and  from  the  most  celebrated  masters. 
Send  me,  from  time  to  time,  specimens  of  your  work.  I  hope 
that  Madam  Campan  is  well  pleased  with  you.  Regard  her 
as  a  second  mother,  and  pay  the  closest  attention  to  every 
thing  she  may  say  to  you.  Embrace  her  tenderly  for  me,  my 
beloved  child. 

Write  to  me  often.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  heard 
from  you.  Love  your  mother  as  she  loves  you ;  you  will 
adore  her.  Adieu,  my  dear  little  Hortense.  Your  mother 
embraces  you,  and  loves  you  with  her  whole  heart. 

JOSEPHINE  BONAPARTE. 

P.  S. — I  embrace  Emilie.     Love  her  always  tenderly. 


CHAPTER   II. 

LETTERS    IN    THE    YEAR    1800,    AT    THE    TIME    OF    THE 
CAMPAIGN  OF  MARENGO. 

NAPOLEON  having,  by  the  successful  campaign  of  Italy, 
compelled  Austria  to  assent  to  peace,  retired  from  the  field  of 
conflict,  for  a  few  weeks,  with  Josephine,  to  Milan. 

"  Napoleon,"  says  Alison,  "  established  himself  at  the  cha- 
teau of  Montibello.  There  the  future  Emperor  of  the  West 
held  his  court  in  more  than  regal  splendor,  and  there  weight- 
ier matters  were  to  be  determined,  and  dearer  interests  were  at 
stake,  than  had  ever  been  submitted  to  European  diplomacy 
since  the  iron  crown  was  placed  on  the  brow  of  Charlemagne. 
Josephine  there  received  the  homage  due  to  the  transcendental 
glories  of  her  youthful  husband;  Pauline  displayed  those 
charms  which  afterward  shone  with  such  luster  at  the  court 
of  the  Tuileries;  and  the  ladies  of  Italy,  captivated  by  the 
splendors  of  the  spectacle,  hastened  to  swell  the  illustrious 
train.  Already  Napoleon  acted  as  a  sovereign  prince.  His 
power  exceeded  that  of  any  living  monarch ;  and  he  had  en- 
tered on  that  dazzling  existence  which  afterward  entranced  and 
subdued  the  world." 

Having  here  settled  all  the  terms  of  peace,  and  exchanged 
the  ratifications  of  the  treaty  of  Campo  Formio,  Napoleon  re- 
turned to  Paris,  entering  the  city  on  the  evening  of  the  5th 
of  December,  1797. 

There  was  now  a  continental  peace.  But  England,  still  ir- 
reconcilably hostile  to  the  opinions  which  the  French  Revolu- 
tion had  developed,  vigorously  continued  the  war.  Defended 
by  her  majestic  fleet,  India  was  the  only  vulnerable  point  she 
2* 


34  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

presented.  Napoleon  was  placed  in  command  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  land  in  Egypt  and  march  to  the  Euphrates  and  the 
Ganges.  'He  sailed  from  Toulon  in  May,  1798.  After  an  ab- 
sence of  seventeen  months  he  returned  in  October,  1799.  We 
have  no  letters  written  to  Josephine  during  this  period.  He 
seldom  attempted  to  write,  as  the  British  cruisers  cut  off 
nearly  all  communication.  Soon  after  he  sailed,  Josephine, 
who  had  accompanied  him  to  Toulon,  wrote  as  follows  to  her 
daughter,  Hortense,  who  was  in  the  celebrated  school  of  Mad- 
ame Campan,  near  Paris. 


LETTER   I. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

TOULON,  May  15,  1798. 

I  have  been  at  Toulon  for  five  days,  my  dear  Hortense.  I 
was  not  fatigued  by  the  journey,  but  was  very  much  grieved 
at  the  necessity  of  leaving  you  so  precipitately,  without  the 
opportunity  of  bidding  either  you  or  my  dear  Caroline1  adieu. 
But,  my  dear  child,  I  find  a  little  consolation  for  this  in  the 
hope  I  have  of  soon  embracing  you. 

Bonaparte  does  not  wish  that  I  should  embark  with  him. 
vHe  desires  me  to  visit  the  mineral  springs  before  undertaking 
the  voyage  to  Egypt.  He  will  send  for  me  in  two  months. 
Thus,  my  Hortense,  I  shall  again  have  the  pleasure  of  pressing 
you  to  my  heart,  and  to  assure  you  that  you  are  dearly  loved. 
JOSEPHINE  BONAPARTE. 

P.  S.  Say  to  Caroline  that  I  love  her,  and  that  I  embrace 
her  with  my  whole  heart.  My  most  affectionate  remembrance 
to  Madame  Campan. 


During  the  expedition  to  Egypt,  false  and  atrocious  rumors 
respecting  Josephine  reached  Napoleon.  The  following  letter 
to  Joseph,  reveals  his  sufferings : 

1  Sister  of  Napoleon,  who  afterward  married  Murat. 


KAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH.  35 

LETTER   II. 

KAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH. 

CAIEO,  July  25,  1798. 

You  will  see  in  the  newspapers  the  result  of  our  battles  and 
the  conquest  of  Egypt,  where  we  found  sufficient  resistance 
to  add  a  leaf  to  the  laurels  of  this  army.  Egypt  is  the  richest 
country  in  this  world  for  wheat,  rice,  pulse,  and  meal.  Bar- 
barism there  is  at  its  height.  There  is  no  money,  not  even  to 
pay  the  troops.  I  may  be  in  France  in  two  months.  I  rec- 
ommend my  interests  to  you.  I  have  much  domestic  distress. 
Your  friendship  is  very  dear  to  me.  There  only  remains  to 
make  me  a  misanthrope  to  lose  your  friendship,  and  to  have 
you  betray  me.  It  is  a  sad  condition  to  be  in,  to  have 
every  different  feeling  toward  the  same  person  united  in  one 
heart. 

Make  arrangements  that  I  may  have,  on  my  arrival,  a  villa 
either  near  Paris,  or  in  Burgundy.  I  intend  there  to  bury 
myself,  and  pass  the  winter.  I  am  weary  of  human  nature.  I 
have  need  of  solitude  and  isolation.  Feeling  is  dried  up. 
Glory  has  faded  at  twenty-nine.  I  have  exhausted  every 
thing.  Nothing  remains  for  me  but  to  become  purely  selfish. 
I  intend  to  shut  myself  up  in  my  house,  and  allow  no  one  to 
dwell  with  me.  I  have  no  more  than  enough  to  live  upon. 
Adieu,  my  only  friend.  I  have  never  been  unjust  toward  you. 
You  will  do  me  this  justice,  notwithstanding  the  desire  of  my 
heart  to  be  so.  You  understand  me.  Love  to  your  wife,  and 
to  Jerome.  BONAPARTE. 


In  about  a  fortnight  after  Napoleon's  return  from  Egypt,  on 
the  9th  of  November,  1799,  he  became  consul,  and  on  the  14th 
of  December,  was  elected  First  Consul.  During  his  absence, 
England  had  succeeded  in  drawing  Austria  into  another  alli- 
ance against  France.  Napoleon,  immediately  upon  being  in- 
vested with  power,  thus  wrote  to  the  King  of  England  : 


36  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  III. 

NAPOLEON   TO    GEORGE    HI. 

Called  by  the  wishes  of  the  French  nation  to  occupy  the 
first  magistracy  of  the  republic,  I  judge  it  well,  on  entering  on 
my  office,  to  address  myself  directly  to  your  majesty.  Must  the 
war,  which  for  the  four  last  years  has  devastated  the  world,  be 
eternal  ?  Are  there  no  means  of  coming  to  an  understanding? 
How  can  the  two  most  enlightened  nations  of  Europe,  stronger 
already  and  more  powerful  than  their  safety  or  their  independ- 
ence requires,  sacrifice  to  ideas  of  vain  glory,  the  well-being 
of  commerce,  internal  prosperity,  and  the  repose  of  families  ? 
How  is  it  that  they  do  not  feel  peace  to  be  the  first  of  neces- 
sities as  it  is  the  first  of  glories  ?  These  sentiments  can  not 
be  strangers  to  the  heart  of  your  majesty,  who  governs  a  free 
people  with  the  sole  aim  of  rendering  it  happy. 

Your  majesty  will  perceive  only  in  this  overture  the  sincer- 
ity of  my  desire  to  contribute  efficaciously  for  a  second  time 
to  the  general  pacification  by  this  prompt  advance,  perfectly 
confidential  and  disembarrassed  of  those  forms,  which,  perhaps 
necessary  to  disguise  the  dependence  of  weak  states,  reveal 
when  adopted  by  strong  states,  only  the  wish  of  mutual  decep- 
tion. France  and  England,  by  the  misuse  of  their  powers, 
may  yet  for  a  long  period  retard,  to  the  misery  of  all  nations, 
their  exhaustion.  But  I  venture  to  say  that  the  fate  of  the 
civilized  world  is  connected  with  the  termination  of  a  war 
which  has  set  the  whole  world  in  flames. 


In  a  similar  strain  Napoleon  wrote  to   the  Emperor  of 
Austria.     His  letter  was  as  follows  : 

LETTER  IV. 

NAPOLEON   TO    THE    EMPEROR    OF   AUSTRIA. 

Having  returned  to  Europe  after  an  absence  of  eighteen 
mouths,  I  find  a  war  kindled  between  the  French  republic  and 


NAPOLEON      TO     JOSEPH.  37 

your  majesty.  A  stranger  to  every  feeling  of  vain  glory,  the 
first  of  my  wishes  is  to  stop  the  effusion  of  blood  which  is 
about  to  flow.  Every  thing  leads  me  to  see  that,  in  the  next 
campaign,  numerous  armies,  ably  conducted,  will  treble  the 
number  of  victims  who  have  already  fallen  since  the  resump- 
tion of  hostilities.  The  well-known  character  of  your  majesty 
leaves  me  no  doubt  as  to  the  secret  wishes  of  your  heart.  If 
those  wishes  only  are  listened  to,  I  perceive  the  possibility 
of  reconciling  the  two  nations. 

In  the  relations  which  I  have  formerly  entertained  with 
your  majesty,  you  have  shown  me  some  personal  regard.  I 
beg  you  therefore  to  see  in  this  overture  which  I  make  to  you, 
the  desire  to  respond  to  that  regard,  and  to  convince  your 
majesty  more  and  more,  of  the  very  distinguished  consideration 
I  feel  for  you. 

These  advances  were  repelled  by  both  England  and  Austria, 
and  they  pressed  the  assault  upon  France  both  by  land  and 
sea  with  increasing  vigor.  Napoleon  thus  compelled  to  give 
battle,  secretly  gathered  an  army  behind  the  barriers  of  the 
Alps,  and  descending  upon  the  plains  of  Italy,  utterly  routed 
the  Austrians  at  Marengo.  He  left  the  Tuileries  for  this  cam- 
paign May  7,  and  returned  July  2,  1800,  having  been  absent 
but  eight  weeks.  A  few  weeks  before  leaving  Paris,  Napoleon 
wrote  the  following  characteristic  letter  to  his  brother  Joseph : 
« 

LETTER  V. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

March  19,  1800. 

Monsieur  de  Stael  is  in  the  deepest  poverty,  and  his  wife 
gives  dinners  and  balls.  If  you  still  visit  her,  would  it  not  be 
well  to  persuade  her  to  make  her  husband  an  allowance  of 
from  two  to  four  hundred  dollars  a  month.  Or  have  we 
reached  the  time  when  one  can,  without  giving  offense  to 
honorable  people,  trample  under  foot  not  only  morals,  but 


38  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

even  duties  more  sacred  than  those  which  unite  children  to 
their  parents.  Let  us  judge  of  the  morals  of  Madam  de  Stae'l 
as  if  she  were  a  man.  But  a  man  who  had  inherited  the  for- 
tune of  Monsieur  de  Necker,  who  had  eujoyed  the  privileges 
attached  to  a  distinguished  name,  and  who  should  abandon 
his  wife  to  abject  poverty,  while  he  lived  in  luxury,  would  he 
be  a  man  with  whom  one  could  enjoy  society  ? 


LETTER  VI. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   PARIS. 

LAUSANNE,1  May  13,  1800. 

I  arrived  at  Lausanne  yesterday ;  I  leave  to-morrow.  My 
health  is  pretty  good.  This  country  is  very  beautiful.  I  do 
not  see  any  difficulty  in  your  coming,  in  the  course  of  ten  or 
twelve  days,  to  join  me  here.  But  it  will  be  necessary  to 
journey  incognito,  and  not  to  say  where  you  are  going,  as  I 
do  not  wish  it  to  be  known  what  I  am  about  to  do.  You  can 
say  that  you  are  going  to  Plombieres."  I  will  send  Moustache3 
to  you,  who  will  soon  be  here.  My  love  to  Hortense.  Eu- 
gene will  not  be  here  for  eight  days.  He  is  on  the  way. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   PARIS. 

May  16,  1800. 

I  leave  this  moment  to  sleep  at  St.  Maurice.     I  have  re- 
ceived no  letters  from  you.     That  is  not  kind.     I  have  written 

1  A  beautiful  town  in  Switzerland,  on  Lake  Geneva.    Here  Napoleon 
completed  his  preparation  for  the  world-renowned  march  across  the 
Great  St.  Bernard. 

2  A  celebrated  watering-place  in  this  vicinity,  where  Josephine  spent 
much  of  the  time  while  Napoleon  was  in  Egypt. 

3  A  favorite  servant,  a  Mameluke,  who  had  returned  with  Napoleon 
from  Egypt. 


NAPOLEON    TO     THE     EMPEROR     OF    AUSTRIA.       39 

to  you  by  every  courier.  Eugene  ought  to  arrive  by  day 
after  to-morrow.  I  have  a  slight  cold,  but  that  amounts  to 
nothing.  A  thousand  affectionate  wishes  for  you,  my  good 
little  Josephine,  and  for  all  who  surround  you. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  VIII. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

AOSTA,  May  20,  1800. 

Please  give  $6,000  to  my  wife.  The  principal  obstacles 
are  overcome.  We  are  masters  of  Ivica  and  its  citadel,  where 
we  found  ten  pieces  of  cannon.  We  have  fallen  here  like  a 
thunderbolt.  The  enemy  did  not  in  the  slightest'degree  sus- 
pect it,  and  can  hardly  believe  it. 

Very  great  events  will  soon  take  place  ;  the  results  of  them 
will  be  grand.  1  hope  for  the  happiness  and  the  glory  of  the 
republic.  A  thousand  remembrances  to  Julia. 

BONAPARTE. 


The  battle  of  Marengo  was  fought  on  the  14th  of  June, 
1800.  More  than  twenty  thousand  were  struck  down  upon 
that  dreadful  field.  Napoleon,  according  to  his  invariable 
custom,  after  the  battle,  rode  over  the  ground,  and  gazed  with 
a  saddened  spirit  upon  the  ruin  and  misery  around  him.  Un- 
der the  influence  of  these  feelings,  upon  the  field  of  blood,  he 
wrote  the  following  extraordinary  letter  to  the  Emperor  of 
Austria : 

LETTER  IX. 

NAPOLEON  TO  THE  EMPEROR  OF  AUSTRIA. 

MARENGO. 

Sire — It  is  on  the  field  of  battle,  amid  the  sufferings  of  a 
multitude  of  the  wounded,  and  surrounded  by  fifteen  thousand 


40  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

corpses,  that  I  beseech  your  majesty  to  listen  to  the  voice  of 
humanity,  and  not  to  suffer  two  brave  nations  to  cut  each  oth- 
ers' throats  for  interests  not  their  own.  It  is  my  part  to  press 
this  upon  your  majesty  ;  being  upon  the  very  theater  of  war, 
your  majesty's  heart  can  not  feel  it  so  keenly  as  does  mine. 

For  what  are  you  fighting  ?  For  religion  ?  Then  make 
war  upon  the  Russians  and  the  English,  who  are  the  enemies 
of  your  faith.  Do  you  wish  to  guard  against  revolutionary 
principles  ?  It  is  this  very  war  which  has  extended  them  over 
half  the  continent.  The  continuance  of  the  war  can  not  fail 
to  diffuse  them  still  further.  Is  it  for  the  balance  of  Europe  ? 
The  English  threaten  that  balance  far  more  than  does  France, 
for  they  have  become  the  masters  and  the  tyrants  of  commerce, 
and  are  beyond  the  reach  of  resistance.  Is  it  to  secure  the 
interests  of  the  house  of  Austria  ?  Let  us  then  execute  the 
treaty  of  Campo  Formio,  which  secures  to  your  majesty  large 
indemnities  in  compensation  for  the  provinces  lost  in  the 
Netherlands,  and  secure  them  to  you  where  you  most  wish  to 
obtain  them,  that  is,  in  Italy.  Your  majesty  may  send  negoti- 
ators whither  you  will,  and  we  will  add  to  the  treaty  of 
Campo  Formio  stipulations  calculated  to  assure  you  of  the 
continued  existence  of  the  secondary  States,  all  of  which  the 
French  republic  is  accused  of  having  shaken.  Upon  these 
conditions  peace  is  made,  if  you  will.  Let  us  make  the  ar- 
mistice general  for  all  the  armies,  and  enter  into  negotiations 
instantly. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT   PARIS. 

MILAN. 

I  am  at  Milan,  with  a  severe  cold.  I  can  not  bear  the  rain, 
and  yet  I  have  been  drenched  with  water  for  many  hours. 
However,  that  will  soon  be  better.  I  can  not  arrange  for  you 
to  come  here.  I  shall  be  on  my  return  in  a  month.*  I  hope 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  41 

that  I  shall  find  you  very  well.  I  am  about  to  leave  for  Pavia 
and  Sfcrudella.  We  are  masters  of  Brescia,  Cremona,  and 
Plaisance.  My  most  affectionate  regards.  Murat  conducts 
well.  BONAPARTE. 

The  above  letter,  without  a  date,  was  written  after  the  great 
victory  of  Marerigo,  and  when  Napoleon  had  advanced  in 
triumph  to  Milan.  The  Italians  were  very  hostile  to  their 
Austrian  conquerors,  and  hailed  Napoleon  as  a  deliverer. 

"  On  the  2d  of  June,"  writes  Thiers,  "  the  whole  population 
pourei  forth  to  meet  the  French  army,  saluting  the  illustrious 
chief,  whom  they  had  so  often  seen  within  their  walls,  welcom- 
ing him  with  transports  of  enthusiasm,  and  hailing  him  as  a 
saviour  come  down  to  them  from  Heaven. 

"  As  soon  as  the  French  general  entered  Milan,  his  first  act 
was  to  open  the  prisons,  and  render  the  government  of  the 
country  friendly  to  France.  He  gave  a  provincial  administra- 
tion to  the  Cisalpine  Republic,  composing  it  of  the  most  respect 
able  men  of  the  city  ;  and,  faithful  in  Italy  to  the  system  which 
he  had  carried  out  in  France,  he  permitted  neither  violence 
nor  reaction ;  and  while  he  restored  power  to  the  Italians  of 
his  party,  he  took  care  that  they  should  not  exercise  it  against 
the  Italians  of  the  opposite  party." 


CHAPTER   III. 

LETTERS    DURING    THE    YEARS    1801    AND    1803    TO 
JOSEPHINE    AND    TO   JOSEPH. 

THE  great  victory  of  Marengo  compelled  the  Austrians 
again  to  withdraw  from  the  English  coalition.  Napoleon,  on 
his  return  to  Paris,  was  received  with  boundless  enthusiasm 
by  the  French  people.  The  English  government  at  last  con- 
sented to  listen  to  proposals  of  peace.  A  conference  was  held 
at  Amiens,  and  Joseph  Bonaparte  was  sent  there  as  embassa- 
dor  on  the  part  of  France.  England  was  represented  by  Lord 
Cornwallis.  The  English  government  were  much  opposed  to 
peace,  and  the  English  people  were  hostile  to  the  war.  Under 
these  circumstances  peace  was  reluctantly  established,  and 
soon  broken.  The  letters  in  this  chapter  extend  through  three 
years  of  vast  vicissitudes. 

LETTER  I. 

TO  JOSEPHINE  AT  PLOMBIERES.1 

PARIS, 27,  1801. 

It  has  been  such  bad  weather  here  that  T  have  remained  in 
Paris.  Malmaison2  without  you  is  too  gloomy.  The  fete 
was  very  fine.  It  has  fatigued  me  a  little.  The  blister  which 
they  have  put  upon  my  arm,  causes  me  to  suffer  much  all  the 
time. 

1  A  celebrated  watering-place  to  which  Josephine  had  gone  for  her 
health. 

2  A  beautiful  country-seat,  about  twelve  miles  from  Paris,  the  favor- 
ite residence  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine. 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH.  43 

I  have  received  for  you  from  London1  some  plants,  which  I 
have  sent  to  your  gardener.  If  the  weather  is  as  gloomy  at 
Plombieres  as  here,  you  will  suffer  much  from  the  waters. 
My  most  affectionate  regards  to  mamma2  and  to  Hortense. 

BONAPARTE. 


England  was  at  this  lime  flooded  with  pamphlets  accusing 
Napoleon  of  crimes  of  inconceivable  atrocity.  ,  It  was  the  ob- 
ject of  these  to  exasperate  the  English  people  against  the 
chief  magistrate  of  France.  The  conference  at  Amiens  was 
now  in  session.  Napoleon  wrote  as  follows  upon  the  subject, 
to  his  brother  Joseph. 

LETTER  H. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

PARIS,  February  1,  1802. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  12th  Pluviose.  Matters 
appear  to  be  advancing  at  Amiens.  A  week  sooner  or  later 
will  make  no  difference. 

The  affairs  of  the  Cisalpine  appear  to  have  given  general 
satisfaction.  I  desire  that  you  would  speak  to  Lord  Cornwal- 
lis  of  the  infamous  work  which  you  Avill  find  inclosed,  and 
that  you  will  cause  him  to  perceive  how  contrary  it  is  to  the 
dignity  of  the  two  countries  to  permit  an  emigrant  to  publish 
such  abuse,  at  a  time  when  I  am  particularly  endeavoring  to 
stifle  eveiy  thing  which  can  give  offense. 

You  will  also  say  to  Lord  Cornwallis  that  he  should  attach 
but  little  faith  to  the  information  which  Mr.  Jackson  gives 
him  ;  for  he  sees  only  the  lowest  society,  and  his  information 

1  The  prince-regent,  afterward  George  IV.,  though  the  two  countries 
were  then  at  war,  courteously  sent  to  Paris  packages  of  shrubs  which 
had  been  taken  in  French  ships  captured  by  the  Britiali  cruisers. 

2  Madame  Letitia,  Napoleon's  mother.    She  was  with  Josephine  and 
Hortense  at  Plornbieres. 


44  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

he  obtains  from  those  sharpers  who  seek  only  money.  The 
information  which  has  been  already  sent  to  him  should  be 
sufficient  proof  of  this. 

Sebastiani  has  returned   to  Constantinople.      The   Grand 
Senior  has  written  to  me  a  most  satisfactory  letter. 


LETTER  HI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

PARIS,  March  7,  1802. 

I  have  received  your  dispatch  of  the  6th  of  March.  I  do 
not  see  now  that  there  is  any  material  difference  between  the 
different  projects.  The  last  wording  of  the  English  proposal 
respecting  Malta  is  not  far  from  ours.  It  is  also  easy  to  find 
a  middle  course  in  regard  to  the  prisoners.  I  therefore  do 
not  see  what  there  is  to  prevent  the  immediate  conclusion  of 
the  treaty. 

If  Lord  Cornwallis  is  sincere,  peace  ought  to  be  signed  by 
noon  on  the  12th.  If  this  is  not  done,  it  will  be  evident  that 
the  British  cabinet  is  about  to  adopt  different  arrangements, 
and  this,  in  the  present  state  of  Europe,  would  be  madness. 
In  any  case  I  expect  my  courier  to  return  with  accurate  in- 
formation by  noon  on  the  19th.  I  have  yielded  every  thing 
which  the  English  have  wished.  If  peace  is  not  promptly 
made  I  do  not  fear  war.  Express  yourself  strongly  upon  the 
subject,  that  by  noon  on  the  19th  I  may  know  what  I  am  to 
expect  ;  for  as  it  appears  that  the  English  have  given  orders 
to  arm  at  Plymouth,  it  is  necessary  that  I  should  adopt  pre- 
cautions for  our  fleet. 

As  for  the  Turkish  embassador,  it  is  impossible  to  discuss  a 
matter  on  which  our  decision  has  often  been  repeated.  I  do 
not  wish  to  make  our  peace  with  Turkey  at  Amiens  ;  but  this 
presents  no  objection  to  the  article  which  guaranties  the  integ- 
rity of  the  Ottoman  empire. 


NAPOLEON     TO    JOSEPH.  45 

LETTER   IV. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

PARIS,  March  8,  1802. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  18th.  I  adopt,  though 
with  regret,  the  formula,  "  The  Sublime  Porte  is  invited  to 
accede  to  this  treaty."  It  is  none  the  less  my  intention  to 
effect  a  treaty  with  the  Porte,  for  this  treaty  does  not  settle  all 
our  differences.  Not  having  at  this  moment  the  draft  before 
me,  I  do  not  know  of  its  containing  an  article  guaranteeing  the 
integrity  of  the  Ottoman  empire.  This  article  it  seems  neces- 
sary to  insert. 

As  for  the  rest,  I  give  you  all  the  latitude  necessary  to  sign 
in  the  evening.  You  will  be  in  conference  when  you  receive 
this  courier.  I  do  not  think  that  he  will  reach  you  before 
9  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  think  with  you  that  it  is  extremely  important  not  to  lose 
another  moment.  Do,  therefore,  every  thing  that  is  possible 
to  finish  and  to  sign. 

You  will  be  careful  to  inform  me  in  your  answer  if  the  cou- 
rier arrived  before  9  o'clock,  there  being  promised  to  him  in 
that  case  600  francs.  I  expect  my  courier  to-morrow  before 
noon. 


LETTER  V. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

MALMAISON,  March  10,  1802. 

It  is  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  ani  the  courier  is  not  yet 
arrived  whom  you  announced  to  me  you  would  dispatch  after 
your  conference  yesterday  morning,  and  whom  I  expected  at 
mi  Inight.  Nevertheless,  the  dispatches  of  Otto,  and  all  the  let- 
ters from  England,  confirm  the  reports  of  considerable  arma- 
ments, and  of  the  departure  of  successive  squadrons.  Lord 
Hawkesbury  has  informed  Otto  that  Cornwallis  has  received 


46  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

his  last  instruction.  The  difivrene.es  which  exist  at  Amiens 
are  so  trivial  that  they  do  not  seem  sufficient  to  authorize  so 
much  difficulty.  A  letter  from  Amiens,  I  suppose  from  Mr. 
Merry,  caused  the  alarm  in  London,  by  asserting  that  I  did 
not  wish  for  peace.  The  least  delay,  under  these  circumstan- 
ces, will  be  truly  prejudicial,  and  may  be  of  great  consequence 
to  our  squadrons  and  our  naval  expeditions. 

Have  the  kindness,  therefore,  to  send  special  couriers  to  in- 
form me  of  what  you  are  doing,  and  of  every  thing  which  is 
said  to  you  ;  for  it  is  to  me  very  evident,  that  if,  at  the  .hour 
in  which  I  am  writing,  peace  is  not  signed  or  agreed  on,  there 
is  at  London  a  change  of  plans. 

Nevertheless,  however  that  may  be,  continue  perse veringly 
your  negotiations,  contenting  yourself  with  inserting  in  the 
protocols,  notes  which  will  cause  it  clearly  to  be  seen  that  they 
are  the  English  who  do  not  wish  for  peace,  and  who  interpose 
obstacles. 


LETTER  VI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

MAJLMAISON-,  March  11,  1802. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  March,  and  I  see 
by  it  that,  although  agreed,  you  have  signed  nothing.  This 
delay  appears  very  extraordinary.  It  is,  nevertheless,  very 
certain  that  Lord  Cornwallis  had  received  his  final  instructions, 
and  had  only  to  sign.  Moustache,  whom  I  expect  this  after- 
noon, will  begin  undoubtedly  to  elucidate  this  mystery. 

Whatever  may  be  the  pretext,  I  am  not  willing  (je  ne  veux 
pas)  to  have  the  word  Genoa  substituted  instead  of  Liguria. 
I  should  prefer  that  it  should  not  be  mentioned.  Neither  am 
I  willing  to  evacuate  Otranto  before  the  English  evacuate 
Malta.  The  middle  course  is  not  to  speak  of  it.  That  could 
have  been  done  upon  the  hypothesis  that  they  were  to  retain 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPH.  47 

Malta  for  six  or  eight  months ;  but  now  that  all  must  be 
evacuated  in  the  space  of  three  months,  it  is  useless  to  speak 
of  it 


LETTER  VII. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

PARIS,  March  11,  1802. 

Moustache  has  just  arrived.  I  have  already  sent  you  word 
by  the  courier,  who  left  three  hours  ago,  that  I  attach  no  im- 
portance to  the  acknowledgment  of  Liguria.  I  attach  no  more 
importance  to  the  secret  article  relative  to  Naples,  seeing  that 
it  is  without  object,  and  that  it  is  impossible  that  I  should 
evacuate  Tarento,  with  the  artillery,  etc.,  before  three  months, 
even  with  the  best  intentions.  These  articles  are,  therefore, 
quite  useless. 

I  see,  then,  no  longer  any  obstacle  to  peace.  It  is  only  nec- 
essary to  be  careful  to  word  the  article  upon  prisoners  in  such 
a  way  as  not  to  prevent  Portugal  from  paying  us  that  which 
she  owes  us  by  the  secret  articles  of  her  treaty.  This  is  for 
your  private  information ;  for  you  ought  not  to  say  a  word 
about  it,  as  England  has  not  mentioned  it. 

You  may  announce  directly  to  Lord  Cornwallis,  that  the 
King  of  Prussia  has  recognized  the  Italian  republic,  and  has 
congratulated  me,  through  his  embassador,  on  the  result  of  the 
Congress  of  Lyons;  that  on  the  evening  of  the  17th,  M.  Co- 
bentzel  received  a  courier  from  Vienna,  and^has  notified  me 
personally,  that  the  emperor  saw  with  pleasure  the  Italian  re- 
public rescued  from  the  horrors  of  anarchy ;  and  that  he  was 
ready  to  receive  the  Italian  embassador  whom  I  might  send  to 
him ;  that  all  the  princes  of  Italy  have  also  recognized  the 
Italian  republic ;  that,  lastly,  the  courier,  whom  M.  Markoff 
dispatched  to  St.  Petersburg  with  the  news  of  the  Congress 
of  Lyons,  has  just  returned,  and  that  the  Emperor  Alexander 
is  more  inclined  than  ever  to  act  in  concert  with  France,  in  all 
the  important  affairs  of  Europe. 


48  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

You  will  also  cause  Lord  Cornwallis  to  understand  that  I 
ana  not  duped  by  the  hostile  demonstrations  in  London  ;  that 
they  are  not  European  intrigues,  but  merely  the  intrigues  of  a 
cabinet  for  a  change  of  ministers  ;  and  that  I  shall  pity  En- 
gland (queje  plaindrai  FAnyleterre)  if  such  miserable  intrigues 
should  again  enkindle  war. 

Add,  also,  that  I  am  perfectly  convinced  that,  in  the  present 
state  of  Europe,  England  can  not,  with  any  reasonable  hopes, 
alone  make  war  against  us. 

If  you  think  that  peace  will  be  signed  within  twenty-four 
hours,  retain  Moustache ;  you  may  send  him  to  London  to 
announce  it  to  Otto. 

The  treaty  of  Amiens  was  reluctantly  signed  by  the  British 
government  on  the  25th  of  March,  1802.  The  court  was 
driven  to  the  measure  by  public  opinion  in  England.  The 
treaty  was  first  signed  on  an  instrument  covered  with  correc- 
tions. Fair  copies  were  made,  and  there  was  a  public  signa- 
ture attended  with  much  ceremony.  M.Thiers  thus  describes 
this  important  ceremony : 

"  Thirty-six  hours  were  taken  up  in  transcribing  the  treaty 
into  as  many  languages.  The  First  Consul  had  wished  that 
every  thing  should  be  transacted  with  the  greatest  parade. 
Long  before,  he  had  sent  off  for  Amiens  a  detachment  of  his 
finest  troops,  newly  clothed.  He  had  had  the  roads  from 
Amiens  to  Calais  and  from  Amiens  to  Paris  repaired ;  and  had 
sent  relief  to  the  laborers  of  the  country  out  of  work,  that 
nothing  might  excite  in  the  English  negotiator  an  unfavorable 
idea  of  France. 

"  On  the  27th,  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  detach- 
ments of  cavalry  went  to  the  abodes  of  the  plenipotentiaries, 
and  escorted  them  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  where  a  hall  had 
been  prepared  to  receive  them.  It  took  some  time  to  look  over 
the  copies  of  the  treaty,  and  at  length,  about  two  o'clock,  ad- 
mittance was  given  to  the  authorities  and  the  crowd,  eager  to 
be  present  at  the  imposing  ceremony  of  the  two  fii-st  nations 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPH.  49 

in  the  universe  becoming  reconciled  before  the  face  of  the 
world — becoming  reconciled  also  for  so  short  a  time. 

"  The  two  plenipotentiaries  signed  the  peace,  and  then  cor- 
dially embraced  each  other  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  by- 
standers, who,  full  of  emotion,  were  transported  with  joy. 
Lord  Comwallis  and  Joseph  Bonaparte  were  re-conducted  to 
their  residences  amid  the  most  boisterous  acclamations  of  the 
multitude.  After  ten  years  of  the  most  violent,  the  most  ter- 
rible struggle  ever  seen  among  me •*.  '.'  oy  laid  down  arms. 
The  temple  of  Janus  was  shut. 

"  By  whom  had  all  this  been  accomplished  ?  Who  had 
rendered  France  so  great  and  so  prosperous — Europe  so  calm  ? 
One  single  man,  by  the  might  of  his  sword  and  by  the  depth 
of  his  policy.  France  proclaimed  this,  and  entire  Europe 
re-echoed  the  proclamation." 

.jjp  thirteen  months  after  the  signing  of  the  above  treaty,  the 
British  government  again  renewed  the  war,  without  the  dec- 
laration of  hostilities.  "  The  First  Consul,"  says  Thiers,  "  was 
sincerely  desirous  of  the  continuance  of  peace,  and  he  assented 
to  every  thing  that  could  tend  to  prolong  it.  In  consequence, 
he  directed  General  Andreossy  to  proceed  to  London,  and 
received  Lord  Whitworth  in  Paris  with  great  distinction.  The 
most  delicate  attentions  were  paid  to  his  wife,  the  Duchess  of 
Dorset,  an  English  lady  of  very  high  distinction.  The  First 
Consul  gave  splendid  entertainments  to  the  embassador  and 
his  consort  as  well  at  St.  Cloud  as  at  the  Tuileries.  M.  de 
Talleyrand  displayed  all  the  skill  and  all  the  elegance  of  man- 
ners which  distinguished  him,  in  order  to  give  them  a  suitable 
reception.  The  two  Consuls,  Cambaceres  and  Lebrun,  had 
orders  themselves  to  assist  him,  and  they  did  their  best.  To 
these  attentions  was  added  the  still  more  flattering  attention 
of  publishing  them." 

3 


50  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year  1803,  Josephine  wrote 
as  follows  to  her  daughter,  who  had  been  married  to  Louis 
Bonaparte. 

LETTER  VIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

LYONS,  January  24th,  1803. 

At  length,  my  dear  Hortense,  I  see  with  pleasure  the  mo- 
ment approach  in  which  I  shall  be  able  again  to  infold  my 
beloved  daughter  in  my  arms.  I  shall  forget,  in  seeing  you, 
all  the  sadness  I  have  experienced  in  this  country.  Our  de- 
parture was  fixed  for  the  7th  of  this  decade,1  that  is  to  say,  in 
three  days.  I  hope  that  no  obstacle  will  oppose  itself  to  this 
good  resolution  of  Bonaparte. 

I  will  relate  to  you  every  thing  which  has  occurred  during 
our  brief  sojourn  at  Lyons ;  and  I  will  speak  to  you  of  the 
fetes  and  amusements  which  they  have  given  us.  But  all 
these  afford  no  pleasure  to  your  mother  unless  you  can  share 
them. 

Embrace  for  me  your  husband.  Say  to  him  that  I  begin 
to  love  him  most  ardently,  that  I  thank  him  for  his  notes,  that 
they  are  very  kind.  All  here  are  well.  Marois  is  better. 
Ralph  and  Savary"  have  been  sick ;  but  they  are  well  now. 
They  all  desire  to  be  remembered  to  you.  Bourrienne3  wishes 
it  particularly. 

Bonaparte  embraces  you,  and  your  mother  loves  you  ten- 
derly. JOSEPHINE  BONAPARTE. 

1  The  French  republic  in  abolishing  Christianity  also  abolished  the 
Sabbath,  and  divided  the  year  into  periods  of  ten  daya.     Napoleon 
restored  Christianity,  with  its  week  of  seven  days  and  its  Sabbath  of 
rest. 

2  These  were  aides-de-camp  of  Napoleon. 

3  Bourrienne  was  at  this  time  private  secretary  of  Napoleon.    He 
was  subsequently,  for  misconduct,  dismissed  from  office.      Upon  the 
return  of  the  Bourbons  he  entered  their  service,  and  while  in  their  em- 
ploy, wrote  a  calumnious  history  of  his  former  master. 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPHINE.  51 

LETTER  IX. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HOKTENSE. 

PLOMBIERES,  June  16,  1803. 

I  am  very  sad,  my  dear  Hor tense.  I  am  separated  from 
you,  and  my  heart  is  as  sick  as  is  my  body.  I  perceive  that  I 
was  not  born,  my  child,  for  so  much  grandeur,  and  that  I 
should  have  beeu  far  more  happy  in  retirement,  surrounded 
with  the  objects  of  my  love. 

I  know  you,  my  daughter,  and  I  am  sure  that  in  contribut- 
ing to  the  happiness  of  my  life,  you  share  also  all  my  solici- 
tudes. Eugene  is  probably  now  with  you.  That  idea  consoles 
me.  I  know  sufficiently  your  attachment  for  Bonaparte  to  be 
persuaded  that  you  will  prove  to  him  a  faithful  companion. 
You  owe  him  the  highest  respect,  affection,  and  gratitude. 

Embrace  him  for  me,  and  receive,  my  beloved  child,  the 
expression  of  all  my  tenderness.  I  embrace  also  my  dear 
Eugene.  Remember  me  most  kindly  to  all  the  gentlemen 
and  ladies  of  your  household.  Let  me  hear  from  you  often. 
Take  care  of  your  health,  my  dear  little  child. 

JOSEPHINE  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    PLOMBIEKES. 

MALMAISON,  June,  19,1  1803. 

I  have  as  yet  received  no  intelligence  from  you.  I  think* 
however,  that  you  must  have  already  commenced  taking  the 

1  It  will  be  observed  that  an  interval  of  two  years  has  elapsed  be- 
tween the  date  of  this  letter  and  the  last  one  to  Josephine  at  Plom- 
bieres.  During  this  interval  Napoleon  was  busily  employed  in  the 
reconstruction  of  society  in  France.  On  the  20th  of  May,  of  this  year, 
England  had  again  resumed  war,  and  Napoleon  was  now  all  engaged 
in  its  vigorous  prosecution. 


52  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

waters.  We  are  here  quite  lonely,  although  the  amiable 
daughter  does  the  honors  of  the  house  remarkably  well.  For 
two  days  I  have  been  slightly  afflicted  with  pain.  Eugene 
arrived  last  evening.  He  is  perfectly  well. 

I  love  you  as  the  first  day,  because  you  are  good  and  ami- 
able above  all  others.  Hortense  tells  me  that  she  has  written 
to  you  frequently.  Affectionate  regards,  and  a  kiss  of  love. 
Wholly  thine.  BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XI. 

TO  JOSEPHINE  AT  PLOMBIERES. 

MALMAISOX,  June  23,  1803. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  good  little  Josephine.  I  per- 
ceived with  sorrow  that  you  suffered  from  the  journey.  But  a 
few  days  of  repose  will  do  much  for  you,  I  am  very  well,  in- 
deed. I  went  yesterday  to  the  hunt  at  Marly,1  and  wounded 
myself  very  slightly  in  one  finger,  in  shooting  a  boar. 

Hortense  is  pretty  well.  Your  stout  son  is  a  little  sick,  but 
he  is  recovering.  I  believe  this  evening  the  ladies  play  the 
"  Barber  of  Seville."2  The  weather  is  beautiful.  I  intreat  you 
to  believe  that  nothing  is  more  true  than  the  affection  which  I 
have  for  my  little  Josephine.  Wholly  thine. 

BONAPARTE. 

1  A  beautiful  hunting-seat  near  Malmaison.  The  forest  was  very 
extensive.  The  palace  was  reared,  and  the  grounds  laid  out  by  Louis 
XIV.,  at  an  expense  of  countless  millions.  It  is  now  in  ruins. 

*  The  guests  at  Malmaison  occasional^  had  private  theatricals  for  an 
evening  entertainment.  Eugene  and  Hortense  were  distinguished  for 
their  histrionic  skill. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  53 


LETTER  XII. 

TO  JOSEPHINE  AT  PLOMBIERES. 

t  MALMAISON,  June  27,  1803. 

Your  letter,  kind  little  wife,  informs  me  that  you  are  indis- 
posed. Corvisart1  tells  me  that  this  is  a  good  sign  ;a  that  the 
baths  will  produce  for  you  the  effect  desired,  and  that  they 
will  put  you  in  a  good  state.  Nevertheless,  to  know  that  you 
are  Buffering  is  poignant  grief  to  my  heart. 

I  went  yesterday  to  see  the  manufactory  of  Sevres  and  St. 
Cloud.  Kind  regards  for  all.  Thine  for  life. 

BONAPARTE. 


LETTER  XIII. 

TO  JOSEPHINE  AT  PLOMBIERES. 

MALMAISON,  July  1,  1803. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  29th  of  June.  You  do 
not  speak  of  your  health,  or  of  the  effect  of  the  baths.  I  see 
that  you  intend  to  be  on  your  return  in  eight  days.  That  will 
afford  great  pleasure  to  your  friend,  who  wearies  of  being  alone. 

You  will  have  seen  General  Ney,3  who  leaves  Plombieres. 
He  will  marry  on  his  return.  Hortense  played  yesterday  Ro- 
sina,  in  the  "  Barber  of  Seville,"  with  her  usual  spirit. 

I  beg  of  you  to  believe  that  I  love  you,  and  that  I  am  very 
impatient  for  you  to  return.  All  is  desolation  here  without 
you.  BONAPARTE. 

1  A  very  celebrated  physician  attached  to  Napoleon. 

*  Napoleon  had  no  heir  to  inherit  his  name  and  his  rapidly-increasing 
power.  It  was  the  intense  desire,  both  of  himself  and  Josephine,  that 
they  might  have  a  child.  The  medicinal  springs  at  Plombieres  were 
celebrated  for  their  efficacy  in  producing  that  physical  condition  which 
would  remove  barrenness. 

3  Afterward  the  illustrious  Marshal  of  France,  "  the  bravest  of  the 
brave." 


54  CONFIDENTIAL      LETTERS. 

Josephine,  on  her  return  from  Plombieres,  was  at  Rouen 
•with  Napoleon.  From  that  city  she  wrote  to  Hortense.  Her 
letter  has  only  the  date  of  the  year. 

LETTER  XIV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

BOUEN,  1803. 

The  courier  leaves,  and  I  have  only  time  to  embrace  you, 
your  husband,  and  my  grandchild,  with  my  whole  heart.  We 
are  all  very  well.  The  rejoicing  at  Rouen  is  general.  All  the 
population  are  under  the  windows  of  Bonaparte  since  his 
arrival,  and  they  wish  to  see  him  every  moment.  They  know 
not  by  what  name  to  call  him.  This  at  times  is  quite  ludi- 
crous. I  send  you  a  soug  which  they  are  singing  in  the 
streets.  I  have  received  your  letter.  It  has  afforded  me  very 
great  pleasure. 

Adieu ;  they  wait  for  my  letter.  Bonaparte  and  Eugene 
embrace  you,  and  your  mother  loves  you  with  her  whole  heart. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

LILLE,  July  9, 1803. 

I  have  had  the  intention,  my  dear  Hortense,  to  write  to  you 
by  your  brother  and  by  his  ladies,  to  give  you  some  news 
respecting  Bonaparte  and  myself.  Since  my  departure  from 
Paris  I  have  been  constantly  occupied  in  receiving  congratula- 
tions. You  know  me.  You  can  judge  after  this,  if  I  should 
not  prefer  a  more  tranquil  life.  Fortunately  the  society  of 
the  ladies  here,  recompenses  me  for  the  tumultuous  life  LJead. 
All  my  mornings,  and  frequently  my  evenings,  are  passed  in 
receptions.  It  is  necessary  after  all  that  to  go  to  the  ball. 
These  entertainments  would  be  more  agreeable  to  me  if  I 


JOSEPHINE     TO      HORTENSE.  55 

could  share  them  with  you,  or  at  least  could  see  you  enjoy 
them.  The  privation  which  I  feel  most  sensibly  is  the  separa- 
tion from  my  dear  Hortense,  and  from  my  grandson,  whom  I 
love  almost  as  much  as  I  love  his  mother. 

Bonaparte  and  Eugene  are  in  very  good  health.  They  have 
left  this  morning  for  Ostend.  They  will  be  to-morrow  at 
Bruges,  where  I  go  to  rejoin  them.  I  have  told  them  that  I 
should  write  to  you ;  they  charged  me  to  embrace  you  and 
also  Napoleon.  Bonaparte  fears  that  the  child  will  no  longer 
remember  him  when  we  return  to  Paris. 

You  know,  undoubtedly,  that  Madame  Leclerc1  is  to  be 
married.  She  marries  the  prince  Borghese.  She  wrote  two 
days  ago  to  Bonaparte,  to  say  to  him  that  she  desired  the 
prince  for  her  husband,  and  that  she  was  confident  that  she 
should  be  very  happy  with  him.  She  asked  of  Bonaparte 
permission  for  the  prince  Borghese  to  write  to  him  to  ask 
her  from  his  hand.  It  appears  that  it  is  Joseph  and  Monsieur 
Angelini  who  have  made  the  match.  In  case  the  family  have 
said  nothing  to  you  about  it,  please  keep  silence.  Adieu;  here 
are  some  more  visitors.  I  leave  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  in 
embracing  you  with  my  whole  heart,  and  in  assuring  you  that 
I  love  you,  and  that  you  are  my  cherished  child. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XVI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    COMPEIQNE. 

PARIS,  February  6,  1804. 

I  have  written  to  Louis,  my  dear  Hortense.  I  hold  him  to 
the  promise  which  he  gave  us,  to  pass  with  us  the  fetes  of  the 
carnival,  and,  as  I  rely  upon  his  word,  I  depend  upon  embrac- 
ing you  also  on  Thursday.  They  await  your  arrival  to  assign 
the  days  for  the  balls.  Bonaparte  will  not  be  sorry  to  see 

1  Pauline,  Napoleon's  sister,  widow  of  General  Leclerc. 


56  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Louis.      I  ain  charged  with  the  pleasure   to  solicit  him  to 
come. 

Many  events  have  transpired  since  your  departure.  The 
man  who  was  sentenced  to  be  shot,  and  who  has  implored 
pardon,  has  revealed  some  important  things.  There  have 
been  at  Paris  eighty  chouans,1  determined  to  assassinate 
Bonaparte.  Savary  went  yesterday  with  forty  gens  d'armes  to 
arrest  Georges  and  seventeen  other  individuals,  who  are  not 
far  distant  from  Paris.  Imagine  to  yourself,  that  Georges  has 
been  in  Paris  and  its  environs,  since  the  month  of  August. 
Truly,  that  makes  one  shudder.  When  you  arrive,  I  will  give 
you  all  the  details  of  this  horrible  plot.  Very  many  have 
already  been  arrested.  Say  nothing  of  this  to  any  one  ;  I,  of 
course,  except  your  husband. 

Adieu,  my  dear ;  I  embrace  you,  and  love  you  with  my 
whole  heart.  I  embrace  Napoleon. 

JOSEPHINE. 

1  Chouans  were  unorganized  soldiers  in  favor  of  the  Bourbon  dynasty, 
who  for  a  long  time  carried  on  a  guerilla  warfare  in  the  provinces  of 
Bretagne  and  Poitou. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LETTERS  TO  JOSEPHINE  IN   1804,  DURING  A  JOURNEY 
WHICH  THE   EMPEROR  MADE   TO  THE  SEA-COAST. 

IN  March,  1804,  Napoleon  became  Emperor  of  France. 
England  denied  the  right  of  the  French  pe'ople  to  dethrone 
the  Bourbons,  and  to  place  the  supreme  power  in  the  hands 
of  another.  With  extraordinary  energy  she  prosecuted  the 
war  for  the  restoration  of  the  Bourbons.  Napoleon  gathered 
an  army  for  the  invasion  of  England.  The  principal  station 
of  the  troops  was  at  Boulogne.  In  August  the  Emperor  left 
Paris,  to  inspect  the  condition  of  the  troops  at  all  the  points 
they  occupied  along  the  coast.  The  Empress,  during  the  ab- 
sence of  the  Emperor,  went  to  Aix-la-Chapelle,  to  try  the  effi- 
cacy^ the  far-famed  mineral  waters  in  that  place.  Napoleon 
was  excessively  occupied  during  this  rapid  journey,  and  wrote 
as  follows  to  the  Empress. 

LETTER  I. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

BOULOGNE,  August  3,  1804. 

My  love,  I  hope  to  hear  shortly  that  the  waters  have  done 

you  very  much  good.     I  am  pained  that  you  have  met  with 

so  many  annoyances.    I  desire  that  you  should  write  me  often. 

My  health  is  very  good,  although  I  ain  a  little  fatigued.     I 

3* 


58  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

shall  be  at  Dunkirk1  in  a  few  days,  from  whence  I  shall  write 
you.     Eugene  has  left  for  Blois.8 

I  cover  you  with  kisses.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  II. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

CALAIS,  August  6,  1804. 

My  love,  I  have  been  at  Calais  since  midnight.  I  think  of 
setting  out  this  evening  for  Dunkirk.  I  am  satisfied  with  what 
I  see,  and  am  in  very  good  health.  I  hope  that  the  waters 
may  benefit  you,  as  much  as  the  bustle,  the  sight  of  camps, 
and  the  ocean  have  me. 

Eugene  has  gone  to  Blois.  Hortense  is  well.  Louis3  is  at 
Plombieres.  I  long  to  see  you.  You  are  at  all  times  neces- 
sary to  my  happiness.  My  kindest  regards  to  your  household. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  III. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

OSTEND,<  August  14,  1804. 

My  love,  I  have  received  no  tidings  from  you  for  several 
days.  I  should  have  been  very  glad,  however,  to  be  informed 

1  The  most  northern  sea-port  of  France,  on  the  Straits  of  Dover, 
about  thirty  miles  north  of  Calais. 

a  A  small  town  in  France,  rich  in  historical  reminiscences,  about  one 
hundred  miles  south  of  Paris. 

3  The  Emperor's  youngest  brother,  was  father  of  Napoleon  III.     He 
had  now  been  married  to  Hortense,  the  daughter  of  Josephine,  about 
two  years.     He  was  suffering  severely  from  a  paralytic  attack,  which 
nearly  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  one  side. 

4  An  important  fortified  sea-port  of  Belgium.  This  kingdom  was  then 
incorporated  with  France,  and  shared  richly  in  the  social  and  political 
equality  which  the  French  revolution  secured. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  59 

of  the  good  effect  of  the  waters,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  you 
pass  your  time.  I  have  been  at  Ostend  for  eight  days.  Day 
after  to-morow  I  shall  be  at  Boulogne  for  a  very  brilliant 
fete.1  Inform  me,  by  the  courier,  what  you  intend  to  do,  and 
when  you  shall  relinquish  the  b'aths. 

I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  the  army  and  the  flotilla. 
Eugene  is  still  at  Blois.  I  do  not  hear  any  more  of  Hortense 
than  if  she  were  in  Congo.  I  shall  write  to  her  and  scold 
her.  My  love  to  all.  NAPOLEON. 

1  Alison  thus  eloquently  describes  this  brilliant  fete: 
"On  the  16th  of  August  the  whole  army  of  about  one  hundred 
thousand,  assembled  on  the  slope  of  a  vast  natural  amphitheater,  facing 
the  sea.  In  the  center  of  this  amphitheater  a  throne  was  placed,  ele- 
vated on  a  platform  of  earth,  at  the  summit  of  a  flight  of  steps.  The 
immense  body  of  soldiers  were  arranged  in  the  form  of  the  rays  of  a 
circle,  emanating  from  the  throne.  The  cavalry  and  artillery  formed 
the  exterior  band  of  that  magnificent  array :  be}rond  them,  a  countless 
.multitude  of  spectators  covered  the  slope,  to  the  very  summit  of  the 
hill.  The  bands  of  all  the  regiments  of  the  army,  on  the  right  and  left 
of  the  throne,  were  ready  to  rend  the  air  with  the  sounds  of  military 
music.  At  noon,  precisely,  the  Emperor  ascended  the  throne  amid  a 
general  salute  from  all  the  batteries,  and  a  flourish  of  trumpets  un- 
heard since  the  days  of  the  Romans. 

"  His  brothers,  ministers,  and  chief  functionaries,  the  marshals  of  the 
Empire,  counselors  of  state,  and  senators,  the  staff,  the  army,  its  whole 
corps  of  generals  and  field  officers,  composed  the  splendid  suite  by 
which  he  was  surrounded.  Amid  their  dazzling  uniforms  the  stand- 
ards of  the  regiments  were  to  be  seen  f  some  new,  and  -waving  with 
yet  unsullied  colors  in  the  sun ;  many  more  were  torn  by  shot,  stained 
with  blood,  and  black  with  smoke,  the  objects  of  almost  superstitious 
reverence  to  the  warlike  multitude  by  which  they  were  surrounded. 
The  Emperor  took  the  oath  first  himself,  and  no  sooner  had  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Legion  of  Honor  rejoined,  '  We  swear  it,'  than  raising  his 
voice  aloud,  he  said,  '  And  you,  soldiers,  swear  to  defend,  at  th^e  hazard 
of  your  life,  the  honor  of  the  French  name,  your  country  and  your  Em- 
peror.' Innumerable  voices  responded  to  the  appeal,  and  immediately 
the  distribution  of  the  decorations  commenced,  and  the  ceremony  was 
concluded  by  a  general  review  of  the  vast  army,  who  all  defiled  in  the- 
finest  order  before  the  throne,  where  they  had  just  witnessed  so  impos- 
ing a  spectacle." 


00  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

TRETES,  October  6,  1804. ' 

My  love,  I  have  arrived  at  Treves.1  At  the  same  hour  you 
reach  St.  Cloud.2  I  am  well.  Do  not  grant  an  audience  to 
T.  Refuse  to  see  him.  Do  not  receive  B.  except  publicly. 
Do  not  give  him  a  private  audience.  Do  not  promise  to  sign 
any  marriage  contracts,  except  when  I  shall  have  signed  them. 
Wholly  thine,  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  V. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

Arx-LA-GiiAPELLE,  September  8,  1804.  j 
The  news  which  you  give  me  of  Napoleon3  affords  me  very 
great  pleasure,  my  dear  Hortense,  for  in  addition  to  the  very 
tender  interest  I  feel  for  him,  I  appreciate  all  the  anxieties  from 
which  you  are  relieved,  and  you  know,  my  dear  child,  that 
your  happiness  will  ever  constitute  a  part  of  mine.  The  Em- 
peror has  read  your  letter.  He  has  at  times  appeared  to  me 
wounded  in  not  hearing  from  you.  He  would  not  accuse 
your  heart  if  he  knew  you  as  well  as  I  do ;  but  appearances 
are  against  you.  Since  he  may  suppose  that  you  neglect  him, 
do  not  lose  a  moment  to  repair  the  wrongs  which  are  not  in- 
tentional. Say  to  him  that  it  is  through  discretion  that  you 
have  not  written  to  him ;  that  your  heart  suffers  from  that  law 
which  even  respect  dictates ;  that  having  always  manifested 
toward  you  the  goodness  and  the  tenderness  of  a  father,  it  will 

1  A  German  city  on  the  lower  Rhine,  which  had  been  annexed  to 
France  by  the  treaty  of  Luneville,  in  1801 ;  which  peace  was  obtained 
by  the  battles  of  Marengo  and  Hohenlinden. 

2  A  very  beautiful  palace  but  a  short  distance  from  Paris. 

3  The  eldest  child  of  Hortense,    This  child  soon  after  died. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.  61 

ever  be  to  you  a  happiness  to  offer  to  him  the  homage  of  your 
gratitude. 

Speak  to  him  also  of  the  hope  you  cherish  of  seeing  me  at 
the  period  of  your  confinement.  I  can  not  endure  the  thought 
of  being  absent  from  you  at  that  time.  Be  sure,  my  Hortense, 
that  nothing  can  prevent  me  from  going  to  take  care  of  you, 
for  your  sake,  and  still  more  for  my  own.  Do  you  speak  of 
this  also  to  Bonaparte,  who  loves  you  as  if  you  were  his  own 
child;  and  this  greatly  increases 'my  attachment  for  him. 
Adieu,  my  good  Hortense.  I  embrace  you,  and  also  Napoleon, 
with  the  warmest  affections  of  my  heart.  If  your  husband  has 
returned,  present  my  kindest  remembrance  to  him. 

I  write  to  Stephanie  to  engage  her  to  go  and  pass  the  time 
during  which  I  shall  be  absent,  with  Madame  Campan.  I 
hope  that  you  will  persuade  her  that  this  is  desirable.  As  you 
will  probably  be  too  much  fatigued  to  accompany  her,  ask 
Emilie  to  give  me  that  proof  of  her  affection.  It  appears  that 
we  shall  see  much  company  at  Mayence.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   VI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

LTOXS,  April  15,  1805. 

Here  we  are,  my  dear  Hortense,  half  way  o,n  our  journey. 
For  four  days  we  have  been  at  Lyons,  and  though  I  have  suf^ 
fered  a  little  from  the  headache,  the  journey  has  not  fatigued 
me.  The  Emperor,  also,  is  very  well.  Acclamations,  the  most 
unanimous,  have  everywhere  burst  forth  upon  his  path.  He 
has  conciliated  all  hearts ;  and  in  this  general  impression  of 
joy,  and  of  attachment  to  his  person,  I  should  find  it  difficult 
to  say  what  city  is  the  most  distinguished. 

We  leave  for  Chambery  to-morrow.  It  is  with  a  great  deal 
of  joy  that  I  see  the  moment  approach  in  which  I  shall  be 
able  to  embrace  Eugene.  But  my  pleasure  will  not  be  with- 
out alloy,  since,  in  approaching  one  of  my  children,  I  perceive, 


62  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

with  a  great  deal  of  regret,  that  I  am  separating  myself  from 
another  who  is  equally  dear  to  rne. 

Adieu,  my  good  Hortense ;  let  me  often  hear  from  you,  and 
receive  a  tender  kiss.  My  kindest  remembrance  to  your  hus- 
band. I  embrace  Napoleon  Louis.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE,  AT   THE   WATERS    OP    ST.    AMAND. 
ST.  CLOUD,  July  20th,  1805. 

I  have  requested  one  of  my  gentlemen,  who  is  about  to  re- 
join his  regiment,  to  convey  to  you  this  letter,  and  to  take  also 
some  presents  for  Napoleon.  I  am  still  very  sad  in  being  sep- 
arated from  your  brother.  '  I  had  hoped,  in  returning  to 
France,  to  meet  again  my  beloved  daughter.  That  idea  con- 
soled me.  But  my  life  passes  sadly  in  being  thus  ever  sep- 
arated from  those  whom  I  love.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  find  my- 
self absolutely  alone. 

I  leave  on  Monday  or  Tuesday  for  Plombieres,  where  I  shall 
remain  a  month.  My  health,  without  being  very  bad,  never- 
theless requires  that  I  should  repose  a  little  from  the  fatigues 
of  the  long  journey  which  I  have  just  made,  and  particularly 
from  the  grief  which  I  have  experienced  in  separating  myself 
from  Eugene,  in  Italy.  I  received  yesterday  a  letter  from  him. 
He  is  very  well,  and  works  hard.  He  greatly  regrets  being 
separated  from  his  mother  and  his  beloved  sister. 

Alas !  there  are  unquestionably  many  people  who  envy  his 
lot,  and  who  think  him  very  happy.  Such  persons  do  not 
read  his  heart.  In  writing  to  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  I  do 
not  wish  to  communicate  to  you  my  sadness.  I  would  only 
speak  to  you  of  my  tenderness  for  you,  for  your  children,  and 
inform  you  how  happy  I  have  been  to  have  your  son  Louis 
near  me  since  my  return. 

The  emperor,  without  speaking  to  me  about  it,  sent  for  him 
immediately  upon  our  arrival  at  Fontainebleau.  I  was  much 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          63 

touched  by  this  attention  on  his  part.  He  had  perceived  that 
I  had  need  of  seeing  a  second  yourself,  a  little  charming  being 
created  by  thee,  un  second  toi-meme,  un  petit  etre  charmant 
cree  par  toi.  The  child  is  very  well ;  he  is  very  happy ;  he 
eats  only  th$  soup  which  his  nurse  gives  him ;  he  never  comes 
in  when  we  are  at  the  table  ;  the  Emperor  caresses  him  very 
much.  Write  to  me  often,  my  dear  Horteuse.  I  have  need 
to  hear  from  you.  Inform  me  of  the  health  of  your  husband. 
Corvisart  is  probably  now  with  him.  I  hope  that  the  waters 
will  do  him  good.  It  is  said  that  they  have  effected  some  as- 
tonishing cures. 

Eugene  has  delivered  to  me,  for  you,  a  necklace  of  mala- 
chite, engraved  in  relief.  I  will  give  it  to  you  upon  your  re- 
turn. Mr.  Bergheim  will  hand  you  one  which  I  have  purchased 
at  Milan.  It  is  composed  of  engraved  amethysts,  which  will 
be  very  becoming  upon  your  beautiful  white  skin.  I  have  had 
no  time  to  have  it  better  mounted. 

The  emperor  has  signed  the  marriage  contract  of  Made- 
moiselle Boubers  with  Monsieur  Lauriston.  He  has  made  a 
present  to  the  young  lady  of  six  thousand  dollars.  Madame 
de  Boubers  seemed  very  well  pleased.  She  is  a  person  of  great 
merit,  who  is  strongly  attached  to  you,  and  who  is  worthy  of 
the  affection  which  you  manifest  for  her.  Give  my  most  affec- 
tionate remembrance  to  Prince  Louis.  Embrace  for  me  Kapo- 
leon,  and  rely,  my  dear  daughter,  upon  the  tenderness  of  your 
mother.  JOSEPHINE. 


CHAPTER   V. 

LETTERS  TO  THE  EMPRESS   IN   1805,   DURING-  THE   CAM- 
PAIGN OP  AUSTERLITZ. 

WHILE  Napoleon  was  gathering  his  armies  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Channel,  to  repel  the  assaults  of  England  by  carrying 
the  war  to  the  hearths  of  the  British  people,  the  English  gov- 
ernment succeeded  in  forming  a  new  coalition  to  attack  France 
in  the  rear.  Russia  and  Austria,  combining  with  England, 
raised  an  army  of  five  hundred  thousand  men,  and  commenced 
a  hostile  march,  hoping  to  take  Napoleon  by  surprise.  Re- 
garding the  Emperor  of  popular  suffrage  as  an  outlaw  from  all 
the  courtesies  of  civilized  nations,  they  did  not  even  condescend 
to  any  declaration  of  war. 

But  the  sleepless  eye  of  the  Emperor  was  upon  them.  The 
moment  they  put  their  armies  in  motion,  and  commenced  hos- 
tilities, he  broke  up  his  encampments  on  the  coast,  and  trans- 
ported his  army,  in  twenty  thousand  carriages,  with  incredible 
rapidity,  to  the  Danube,  and  in  three  months  concluded  the 
marvelous  campaign  of  Austerlitz.  The  Empress  accompanied 
the  Emperor  as  far  as  Strasbourg,  a  frontier  town  of  France, 
on  the  Rhine,  where  she  remained  during  most  of  the  time  of 
Napoleon's  absence.  The  Emperor  left  Austerlitz  about  the 
1st  of  October.  % 

LETTER  I. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    STRASBOURG. 

October  2,  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  1805. 
I  am  still  here  in  good  health.     I  am  just  leaving  for  Stutt- 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  65 

gard,1  where  I  shall  be  this  evening.  The  grand  maneuvers 
commence.  The  army  of  Wurtemberg  and  Baden2  are  united 
with  mine.  I  am  in  a  good  position,  and  I  love  you. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  II. 

TO   JOSEPHINE    AT   STRASBOURG. 

October  4,  1805  ;  12  o'clock,  noon. 

I  am  at  Louisburg.5  I  leave  to-night.  There  is  nothing 
new.  All  my  army  is  on  the  march.  The  weather  is  splendid. 
My  junction  with  the  Bavarians4  is  accomplished.  I  am  well. 
I  hope  in  a  few  days  to  have  something  interesting  to  send  you. 
Take  care  of  your  health,  and  believe  in  all  my  affection. 
There  is  here  a  very  fine  court,  a  bride  very  beautiful,  and  all 
are  veiy  amiable  people,  especially  our  electress,  who  appears 
very  good,  although  daughter  of  the  King  of  England.5 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  HI. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    STRASBOURG. 

LOUISBURG,  October  5,  1805. 

I  leave  in  a  moment  to  continue  my  march.     You  will  be, 
my  love,  five  or  six  days  without  hearing  from  me.     Do  not 

1  The  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  "Wurtemberg,  and  about  one  hundred 
miles  from  Strasbourg. 

2  Wurtemburg  and  Baden  were  independent  German  states  which 
had  espoused  the  liberal  principles  of  France,  and  were  in  friendly  al- 
liance with  Napoleon. 

3  The  country  residence  of  the  Duke  of  Wurtemburg. 

4  The  Bavarians  were  in  alliance  with  France.     In  about  three 
months  from  this  time  Eugene  Beauharnais  married  a  daughter  of  the 
King  of  Bavaria. 

5  The  elector,  a  duke  of  "Wurtemburg,  married  a  daughter  of  George 


66  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

be  distressed  at  this.  It  will  be  in  consequence  of  the  opera- 
tions which  are  about  to  take  place.  All  goes  well  and  ac- 
cording to  my  wishes. 

I  have  assisted  at  the  nuptials  of  the  son  of  the  elector, 
with  a  niece  of  the  King  of  Prussia.  I  desire  to  give  a  wed- 
ding present  to  the  young  princess,  worth  from  seven  to  ten 
thousand  dollars.  Let  it  be  obtained,  and  send  it  by  one  of 
my  chamberlains,  when  these  chamberlains  shall  come  to  join 
me.  It  should  be  done  immediately.  Adieu,  my  love ;  I  love 
you  and  embrace  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    STRASBOURG. 
AUGSBURG,  1  October  10,  1805;  11  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  have  slept  to-day  at  the  house  of  the  ancient  Elector  of 
Treves,3  who  is  very  well  lodged.     For  eight  days  I  have 
been  on  the  road.     Very  remarkable  success  has  opened  the 
campaign.     I  am  very  well,  although  it  rains  almost  all  the 
time.     Events  succeed  each  other  with  great  rapidity.     I 
have  sent  to  France  four  thousand  prisoners,  eight  stands  of 
colors,  and  I  have  fourteen  pieces  of  cannon,  taken  from  the 
enemy.     Adieu,  my  love.     I  embrace  you.          NAPOLEON. 

III.,  King  of  England.  She  was  quite  charmed  with  Napoleon,  and 
wrote  to  her  friends  in  England  expressing  great  surprise  in  finding 
the  Emperor  so  polite  and  agreeable.  He  had  been  represented  to  her 
as  a  monster  of  revolting  aspect  and  character. 

1  An  important  city  of  Bavaria,  about  eighty  miles  beyond  Ulm. 
The  Emperor  was  surrounding  the  invading  army  of  the  Austrians  in 
Ulm,  where  they  were  soon  compelled  to  surrender. 

2  An  important  city  in  the  valley  of  the  Rhine,  at  that  time  included 
within  the  limits  of  France.     It  had  formerly  been  the  capital  of  a 
small  German  electorate.     It  appears  that  the  elector,  who  had  been 
swept  from  his  feudal  estates  by  the  storms  which  succeeded  the 
French  Revolution,  was  then  residing  in  Bavaria. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  67 


LETTER  V. 

TO  JOSEPHINE  AT  STRASBOURG. 

October  12,  1805 ;  11  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
My  army  has  entered  Munich.1  The  enemy  is  beyond  the 
Inn,2  on  one  side ;  the  other  army  of  sixty  thousand,  I  hold 
blockaded  upon  the  Dler,s  between  Ulm  and  Memmingen 
The  enemy  is  beaten,  has  lost  his  head.  Every  thing  foretells 
the  most  happy  campaign,  the  shortest  and  most  brilliant, 
which  has  been  made.  I  leave  in  one  hour  for  Burgau,  upon 
the  Eler.  I  am  well.  The  weather  is,  however,  dreadful. 
I  change  my  clothes  twice  each  day,  it  rains  so  continually. 
I  love  you,  and  embrace  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO    JOSEPHINE    AT    STRASBOURG. 

ELCHINGEN,*  October  19,  1805. 

I  have  been,  my  good  Josephine,  more  fatigued  than  is 
usual  for  me.  Having  been,  during  every  day  for  a  whole 
week,  drenched  to  the  skin  and  with  the  feet  cold,  has  made 
me  a  little  sick.  But  to-day,  in  which  I  have  not  been  out, 
has  rested  me. 

1  The  beautiful  capital  of  Bavaria. 

8  A  river  which  bounded  Bavaria  on  the  east,  separating  it  from 
Austria  Napoleon  had  thus  driven  one  division  of  the  Austrians  out 
of  Bavaria  and  had  effectually  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  other. 

3  The  western  boundary  of  Bavaria. 

4  A  monastery  in  a  small  village,  about  seven  miles  north-west 
from  Ulm.     The  heights  upon  which  this  convent  was  placed  had 
been  taken  by  a  desperate  assault.     Napoleon  was  exposed  to  such 
peril,  as  the  shot  of  the  Austrian  batteries  plowed  the  ground  around 
him,  that  Lannes  seized  the  reins  of  the  Emperor's  horse  and  led  him 
from  the  galling  fire. 

The  above  letter  was  written  on  the  day  in  which  Dim  capitulated. 


68  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  have  accomplished  my  object.  I  have  destroyed  the 
Austrian  army  by  simple  marches.  I  have  made  sixty  thou- 
sand prisoners,  taken  one  hundred  and  twenty  pieces  of  can- 
non, more  than  ninety  stands  of  colors,  and  over  thirty 
generals.  I  am  going  to  throw  myself  upon  the  Russians ;' 
they  are  lost.  I  am  satisfied  with  my  army.  I  have  lost  but 
fifteen  hundred  men,  of  whom  two  thirds  are  but  slightly 
wounded.  Adieu,  my  Josephine.  Kind  regards  for  all. 

Prince  Charles11  hastens  to  cover  Vienna.  I  think  that 
Massena  ought  to  be,  at  this  time,  at  Vienna.  From  the  mo- 
ment I  shall  be  at  ease  respecting  Italy,  I  shall  call  Eugene3 
into  action.  My  most  affectionate  remembrance  to  Hortense. 

NAPOLEON. 

As  the  melancholy  procession  of  thirty  thousand  captives 
defiled  before  the  Emperor,  preparatory  to  their  long  and  hu- 
miliating march  as  prisoners  to  France,  the  sympathies  of 
Napoleon  seemed  to  be  deeply  touched  in  their  behalf. 

The  next  day  the  garrison  marched  out  and  laid  down  their  arms.  In 
twenty  days  Napoleon  had  destroyed  an  army  of  eighty  thousand 
men  with  the  loss  of  but  fifteen  hundred  in  killed  and  wounded.  It 
was  accomplished  by  masterly  maneuvers  in  so  surrounding  the  di- 
visions of  the  army,  that  they  were  compelled  to  surrender  without 
fighting. 

1  Alexander,  Emperor  of  the  Russians,  in  person,  with  an  army  of 
one  hundred  thousand  men,  was  hastening  to  join  Prince  Charles,  who 
had  seventy  thousand  men  under  the  walls  of  Vienna,  while  an  army 
of  eighty  thousand  Hungarians  was  also  marching  rapidly  to  his  aid. 
To  meet  these  forces  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men,  Napoleon 
had  but  seventy  thousand,  and  yet  his  plans  were  so  formed  that  he 
was  sure  of  victory. 

Napoleon,  after  riding  forty-two  miles  on  horseback,  slept  on  the 
night  of  the  Itth,  in  a  cow-shed. 

3  Brother  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  commander-in-chief  of 
the  Austrian  armies. 

3  Eugene  was  at  this  time  "Viceroy  of  Italy.  An  Austrian  army 
was  assailing  him  there,  and  he  consequently  could  not  march  to  the 
aid  of  Napoleon. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  69 

Addressing  himself  to  some  of  the  captive  generals,  he 
said, 

"  It  is  truly  deplorable  that  such  honorable  men  as  your- 
selves, whose*  names  are  spoken  of  with  honor  wherever  you 
have  coinbatted,  should  be  made  the  victims  of  an  insane 
cabinet  intent  on  the  most  chimerical  projects.  It  was  already 
a  sufficient  crime  to  have  attacked  me  in  the  midst  of  peace, 
without  any  declaration  of  war ;  but  this  offense  is  trivial  to 
that  of  bringing  into  the  heart  of  Europe  a  horde  of  barba- 
rians, and  allowing  an  Asiatic  power  to  mix  itself  up  with 
our  pursuits.  Instead  of  attacking  me  without  a  cause,  the 
Austrian  cabinet  should  rather  have  united  their  forces  to 
mine  in  order  to  repel  the  Russian  force.  Such  an  alliance  is 
monstrous.  It  is  the  alliance  of  dogs  and  wolves  against  the 
sheep.  Had  France  fallen  in  the  strife,  you  would  not  have 
been  long  in  perceiving  the  error  you  had  committed." 

At  this  moment  a  French  officer  used  an  expression  insult- 
ing to  the  captives.  Napoleon  turned  to  him  with  an  air  of 
marked  displeasure,  and  said, 

"You  must  have  little  respect  for  yourself  to  insult  men 
bowed  down  by  such  misfortunes." 


LETTER  VH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

Noon,  October  21,  1805. 

I  am  pretty  well,  my  love.     I  leave  this  moment  for  Augs- 
burg.1 I  have  compelled  thirty-three  thousand  men"  to  lay  down 

1  An  important  city  of  Bavaria,  about  eighty  miles  east  of  Ulm,  on 
the  road  to  Vienna. 

2  These  were  the  men  who  capitulated  in  the  fortress  of  Ulm. 
Napoleon  said  to  the  officers  who  capitulated  at  Ulm,  in  terms  of 

delicacy  and  frankness  characteristic  of  the  man  : — "  Gentlemen,  war 
has  its  chances.  Often  victorious,  you  must  expect  sometimes  to  be 
vanquished.  Your  master  wages  against  me  an  unjust  war.  I  say  it 


70  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

their  arms  here.  I  have  from  sixty  to  seventy  thousand  pris- 
oners, more  than  ninety  standards,  and  two  hundred  pieces  of 
cannon.  Never  was  there  such  a  catastrophe  in  military  annals. 
Be  careful  of  your  health.  I  am  a  little  fatigued.  The 
weather  has  been  fine  for  three  days.  The  first  column  of 
prisoners  files  off  for  France  to-day.  Each  column  has  six 
thousand  men.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

STRASBOURG,  October  22,  1805. 

I  have  promised,  my  dear  Hortense,  to  Prince  Joseph,  who 
has  written  me  a  very  kind  letter,  to  send  to  him  a  courier 
with  the  first  news  which  I  should  receive.  I  have  to-day 
been  enabled  to  fulfill  my  promise.  M.  Thiers  has  written  me, 
by  order  of  the  Emperor,  all  the  details  of  our  success,  and  I 
have  immediately  transmitted  them  to  Prince  Joseph,  with 
the  request  that  he  would  communicate  the  contents  to  you 
and  to  your  husband.  Propitious  events  succeed  each  other, 
and  to-day  I  have  received  a  letter  from  the  Emperor.  I  send 
it  to  you,  and  am  sure  that  it  will  give  you  the  same  pleasure 
which  it  has  afforded  me.  I  entreat  you  to  preserve  it  care- 
fully, that  I  may  receive  it  again  upon  my  return.  All  the 
members  of  the  Emperor's  household  are  well.  There  has  not 
been  a  single  general  wounded,  and  you  can  say  this  to  all  the 
ladies  whose  husbands  are  in  the  army. 

On  Thursday  a  Te  Deum  is  to  be  chanted,  and  on  the  same 
day  I  shall  give  an  entertainment  to  the  ladies  of  Strasbourg. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  I  love  you  and  embrace  you 
with  my  whole  heart.  My  most  affectionate  regards  to  your 
husband.  I  embrace  your  children.  JOSEPHINE. 

candidly,  I  know  not  for  what  I  am  fighting ;  I  know  not  what  he  de- 
sires of  me.  He  has  wished  to  remind  me  that  I  was  once  a  soldier:  I 
trust  he  will  find  that  I  have  not  forgotten  my  original  avocation." 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  71 


LETTER  IX. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

AUGSBURG,  October  23,  1805. 

The  two  last  nights  have  rested  me  much,  and  I  shall  leave 
to-morrow  for  Munich.  I  send  for  M.  de  Talleyrand1  and  M. 
de  Maret"  to  be  near  me.  I  shall  see  them  but  little.  T  go 

1  Talleyrand  was  then  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs.     It  is  curious  to 
notice  the  different  estimates  which  may  be  put  upon  the  same  indi- 
vidual.    Napoleon  said  of  him,  at  St.  Helena, 

"  Talleyrand  is  a  corrupt  man,  who  has  betrayed  all  parties  and  per- 
sons. "Wary  and  circumspect,  always  a  traitor,  but  always  in  con- 
spiracy with  fortune.  Talleyrand  treats  his  enemies  as  if  they  were 
one  day  to  become  his  friends,  and  his  friends  as  if  they  were  to  be- 
come his  enemies.  He  is  a  man  of  unquestionable  talent,  but  venal  in 
every  thing.  Nothing  could  be  done  with  him  but  by  means  of  bribery." 

Of  the  same  individual  M.  Bourrienne  says, 

"  History  will  speak  as  favorably  of  Talleyrand  as  his  cotemporaries 
have  spoken  ill  of  him.  When  a  statesman,  throughout  a  great,  long, 
and  difficult  career,  makes  and  preserves  a  number  of  friends,  and  pro- 
vokes but  few  enemies,  it  may  justly  be  inferred  that  his  character  is 
honorable,  his  talent  profound,  and  that  his  political  conduct  has  been 
wise  and  moderate.  It  is  impossible  to  know  Talleyrand  without  ad- 
miring him.  All  who  have  that  advantage  judge  him  no  doubt  as  I  do." 

Upon  the  downfall  of  Napoleon,  both  Talleyrand  and  Bourrienne  at- 
tached themselves  to  the  cause  of  the  Bourbons,  tKe  one  as  minister, 
the  other  as  private  secretary. 

2  Maret,  Secretary  of  State,  was  subsequently  created  Duke  of  Bas- 
sano.     His  whole  career  was  a  wild  romance.    "When  a  young  man,  he 
studied  law,  entered  successfully,  and  with  great  renown,  into  diploma- 
cy amid  the  storms  of  the  French  Revolution,  and  attached  hi:nself  most 
zealously  to  the  views  of  political  equality  which  the  Revolution  evolved. 
As  he  was  on  his  way  to  Naples,  as  an  embassador  from  the  Directory, 
he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  was  long  confined  in  a  gloomy  fortress  among 
the  mountains  of  the  Tyrol.     Here  he  beguiled  the  weary  hours  by 
writing  comedies,  and  a  tragedy  on  slips  of  paper  which  he  begged  or 
purloined  from  his  jailor.     He  had  fortunately  found  the  stump  of  an 
old  pen  in  one  corner  of  his  cell,  and  formed  a  composition  which 
served  for  ink.     After  an  imprisonment  of  nearly  two  years,  he  was 
exchanged  for  the  unfortunate  daughter  of  Louis  XVI.,  the  Duchess 


72  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

to  throw  myself  upon  the  Inn1  to  attack  Austria  in  the  bosom 
of  her  hereditary  states.  I  should  have  been  very  glad  to  have 
seen  you,  but  you  must  not  expect  that  I  shall  send  for  you,  at 
least  not  until  there  is  an  armistice,  or  winter  quarters. 

Adieu,  my  love.     A  thousand  kisses.     My  compliments  to 
your  ladies.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

MUNICH,  Sunday,  October  27,  1805. 

I  have  received,  by  Lemarois,  your  letter.  I  have  seen 
with  pain  that  you  are  too  much  distressed.  I  have  received 
details  which  have  proved  to  me  all  the  tenderness  which  you 
bear  me ;  but  it  is  needful  that  you  have  more  fortitude  and 
confidence.  Besides  I  had  foretold  you,  that  I  should  be  six 
days  without  writing  you. 

I  meet  the  elector2  to-morrow.  At  noon  I  leave  to  con- 
firm my  movement  upon  the  Inn.  My  health  is  very  good. 
You  must  not  think  to  pass  the  Rhine,  before  fifteen  or  twenty 
days.  You  must  be  cheerful,  amuse  yourself,  and  hope  that 
before  the  end  of  the  month  we  shall  see  each  other. 

I  am  advancing  upon  the  Russian  army.  In  a  few  days  I 
shall  have  passed  the  Inn. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  friend.     Very  kind  regards  to  Hortense, 

d'Angoule'me.  He  then  warmly  attached  himself  to  the  fortunes  of 
Napoleon,  and  became  exceedingly  useful  to  his  illustrious  master.  He 
established  a  reputation  for  integrity  and  for  noble  endowments.  The 
witty  Talleyrand,  in  a  moment  of  exasperation,  once  said  of  him,  "  In 
all  France  I  know  of  but  one  greater  ass  than  Maret,  and  that  is  the 
Duke  of  Bassauo." 

1  The  Inn,  as  we  have  mentioned,  was  the  eastern  boundary  of  Ba- 
varia.    The  Austrians,  who  were  driven  out  of  Bavaria,  were  endeav- 
oring to  make  a  stand  upon  the  eastern  banks  of  that  river. 

2  The  elector  alluded  to  was  of  Bavaria. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  73 

to  Eugene  and  to  the  two  Napoleons.1  Keep  the  wedding 
gift  for  the  present. 

I  gave  yesterday  to  the  ladies  of  this  court  a  concert.  The 
leader  of  the  choir  is  a  man  of  merit. 

I  have  hunted  in  the  pheasantry  of  the  elector.  You  see 
that  I  am  not  so  greatly  fatigued.  M.  Talleyrand  has  arrived. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XL 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

BRAUNAU,  October  30,  1805. 

My  brother — I  have  arrived  to-day  at  Braunau.  It  snows 
heavily.  The  Russian  army  seems  much  frightened  by  the 
fate  of  the  Austrian  army.  They  have  abandoned  to  me, 
Braunau,  which  is  one  of  the  keys  of  Austria.  This  place 
is  admirably  fortified  and  is  stored  with  magazines  of  every 
kind.  We  shall  now  see  what  this  Russian  army  will  do.  It 
has  lost  its  presence  of  mind.  Elle  a  perdue  la  tete.  The 
people  of  Austria  are  disgusted  with  the  Russians,  who  rob, 
steal,  and  outrage  eveiywhere.  They  look  with  contempt 
upon  the  Austrians,  who  begin  to  enter  into  battle  with  reluc- 
tance ;  by  they  I  mean  the  Russian  officers ;  for  the  soldiers 
are  entirely  brutes,  and  are  unable  to  distinguish  an  Austrian 
from  a  Frenchman. 


LETTER  XH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    STRASBOURG. 

HAAQ,4  November  3,  1805 ;  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  am  in  full  march.     The  weather  is  very  cold,  the  ground 

1  The  two  little  sons  of  Louis  Bonaparte  and  Hortense  Beauharnais. 
These  were  the  elder  brothers  of  the  present  Emperor  of  France. 
Louis  Napoleon  was  not  born  until  about  two  and  a  half  years  after 
this  date — the  20th  of  April,  1808.  Both  of  the  above  children  are 
dead;  Napoleon  III.  being  the  only  survivor  of  the  family. 

a  A  town  in  Austria,  about  fifty  miles  beyond  the  Inn.  Napoleon 
4 


74  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

is  covered  with  a  foot  of  snow.  This  is  a  little  severe.  Hap- 
pily there  is  no  want  of  wood.  We  are  all  the  time  in  the 
forests.  I  am  very  well.  My  affairs  progress  in  a  very  satis- 
factory manner.  My  enemies  ought  to  have  more  solicitude 
than  I. 

I  desire  to  have  news  of  you,  and  to  hear  that  you  are 
without  anxiety.     Adieu,  my  love.     I  am  going  to  sleep. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  xrn. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

Tuesday,  November  5,  1805. 
I  am  at  Lintz.1     The  weather  is  beautiful.     We  are  twenty- 

with  his  army  had  now  crossed  the  boundary  river  into  the  Austrian 
territory,  and  was  pressing  triumphantly  and  vigorously  down  through 
the  valley  of  the  Danube  toward  Vienna. 

1  A  large  and  beautiful  town  on  the  Danube,  nearly  three  hundred 
miles  east  from  Strasbourg. 

Sir  Archibald  Alison  in  the  following  terms  describes  the  dismay 
which  now  agitated  the  camp  of  the  Allies  : 

"  "While  disasters  were  thus  accumulating  on  all  sides  upon  the 
Austrian  monarchy,  the  cabinet  of  Vienna  did  their  utmost  to  repair 
the  fatal  blow  which  had  so  nearly  prostrated  the  whole  strength  of 
the  state.  How  to  arrest  the  terrible  enemy  who  was  pouring  in  irre- 
sistible force  and  with  such  rapidity  down  the  valley  of  the  Danube, 
was  the  great  difficulty.  Courier  after  courier  was  dispatched  to  the 
archduke  Charles,  to  hasten  the  march  of  his  army  to  the  scene  of 
danger;  the  archduke  John  was  directed  to  evacuate  the  Tyrol,  and 
endeavor  to  unite  his  forces  to  those  of  his  brother  to  cover  the  capi- 
tal; the  levies  in  Hungary  and  Lower  Austria  were  pressed  forward 
with  all  possible  rapidity;  and  the  Emperor  himself,  after  issuing  an 
animated  proclamation  to  the  inhabitants  of  Vienna,  set  out  in  person 
to  hold  a  conference  with  the  Russian  General  Kutusoff,  who  was  ad- 
vancing with  the  utmost  rapidity,  upon  the  best  means  of  arresting 
the  march  of  the  enemy.  It  was  resolved  to  abandon  the  line  of  the 
Inn,  and  retire  toward  Vienna,  after  breaking  down  all  the  bridges 
over  the  numerous  streams  which  fell  into  the  Danube  and  lay  across 
their  line  of  march." 


NAPOLEON      TO     JOSEPH.  75 

eight  leagues  from  Vienna.  The  Russians  can  not  hold  out. 
They  are  in*  full  retreat.  The  house  of  Austria  is  greatly 
embarrassed.  At  Vienna  they  are  removing  all  the  luggage 
of  the  court.  It  is  probable  that  in  five  or  six  days  there 
will  be  some  news  from  there.  I  greatly  desire  to  see  you 
again.  My  health  is  good.  J  embrace  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    STRASBOURG. 

November  15,  1805  ;  9  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  have  been  at  Vienna  for  two  days,  my  love,  a  little  fa- 
tigued. I  have  not  yet  seen  the  city  by  day.  I  have  hurried 
through  it  by  night.  To-morrow  I  receive  the  notables  and 
the  officers.  Almost  all  my  troops  are  beyond  the  Danube  in 
pursuit  of  the  Russians. 

Adieu,  my  Josephine  ;  at  the  very  moment  that  it  will  be 
possible,  I  will  send  for  you  to  come.  My  most  affectionate 
regards  for  you.  NAPOLEON. 


On  the  same  day  Napoleon  wrote  as  follows  to  his  brother 
Joseph,  who  was,  during  this  campaign,  the  Emperor's  repre- 
sentative in  Paris : 

LETTER  XV. 

NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH. 

SCHONBRUNN,  November  15,  1805. 

My  brother — You  have  seen  by  the  bulletin  all  that  I  have 
found  in  Vienna.  I  maneuver  to-day  against  the  Russian 
army,  and  in  this  conjuncture  I  am  not  well  satisfied  with 
Bernadotte.1  Perhaps  his  health  is  the  cause.  His  entrance 

1  Bernadotte,  afterward  King  of  Sweden,  had  married  a  sister  of 
Joseph  Bonaparte's  wife. 


76  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

into  Munich  and  into  Salzbourg,  and  the  glory  I  conferred 
upon  him  by  these  honorable  missions,  without  his  having 
fired  a  gun,  or  having  endured  any  of  the  toilsome  drudgery 
of  the  army,  did  not  place  me  in  a  condition  to  expect  that  he 
would  be  wanting  in  activity  and  zeal.  He  has  caused  me  to 
lose  a  day,  and  upon  a  day  depends  the  destiny  of  the  world ; 
not  a  man  would  have  escaped  me.  I  hope  he  will  repair 
that  to-morrow,  in  accelerating  his  march.  I  am  very  desir- 
ous to  see  Junot,  for  I  am  every  day  more  convinced  that  the 
men  whom  I  have  formed  are  incomparably  the  best.  I  con- 
tinue to  be  well  satisfied  with  Murat,  Lannes,  Davoust,  Soult, 
Ney,  and  Marmont.  As  to  Augereau,  I  hear  nothing  of  his 
march.  Massena  has  conducted  very  indifferently ;  he  caused 
himself  to  be  beaten  at  Caldiero,  through  false  dispositions. 

The  army  of  Prince  Charles  is  advancing  on  me,  and  at 
this  moment  the  Venetian  territory  is  probablv  evacuated. 
There  will  be  no  harm  if  you  cause  him  (Massena)  to  be  in- 
formed by  mutual  friends  that  I  am  but  indifferently  satisfied, 
not  with  his  valor,  but  with  the  ability  he  has  displayed. 
This  may  tend  to  excite  his  zeal,  and  will  also,  perhaps,  arrest 
the  disorders  which  are  commencing  in  that  army.  I  know 
that  a  contribution  of  four  hundred  thousand  francs  has  been 
imposed  on  the  Austrian  portion  of  Verona.  It  is  my  inten- 
tion to  make  the  generals  and  officers  who  have  served  me 
well  so  rich  that  I  shall  not  hear  that  they  have  dishonored,  by 
cupidity,  the  most  noble  profession,  and  drawn  upon  them- 
selves the  disrespect  of  the  soldiers.  General  Dejean  has  em- 
ployed, upon  the  subject  of  the  armament  of  the  citadel  of 
Ancona,  an  emphasis  which  is  truly  ridiculous.  The  reasons 
which  he  has  given  are  wretched  (pauvretes).  Support  the 
constable.  All  the  reasons  which  Dejean  is  able  to  give, 
amount  to  nothing.  It  is  the  habit  of  officers  of  the  engineers 
to  display  their  talent :  but  I  wish  that  it  should  be  armed, 
and  that  is  sufficient. 

The  Emperor  of  Germany  writes  to  me  the  most  beautiful 
letters ;  but  though  he  allows  me  to  occupy  his  capital,  he  has 


NAPOLEON     TO    JOSEPH.  77 

not  yet  shaken  off  the  influence  of  the  Russians.  He  is  at 
present  undoubtedly  with  the  Emperor  Alexander,  but  one 
day  or  other  he  must  make  up  his  mind. 


LETTER  XVI. 

TO    THK    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

VIENNA,  November  16,  1805. 

I  write  to  M.  d'Harville  in  order  that  you  set  out,  and  that 
you  proceed  to  Baden,  from  thence  to  Stuttgard,  and  from 
there  to  Munich.  You  will  give  at  Stuttgard  the  wedding 
present  to  the  Princess  Paul.  It  is  sufficient  that  it  cost  fif- 
teen to  twenty  thousand  francs  ($3000  to  $4000).  The 
remainder  will  be  for  you  to  make  presents  at  Munich,  to  the 
daughters  of  the  Electress  of  Bavaria.  All  that  of  which  you 
have  been  informed  through  Madame  de  Sevent,1  is  definitely 
arranged.  Take  with  you  the  means  of  making  some  pres- 
ents to  the  ladies  and  officers  who  may  be  of  service  to  you. 
Be  unassuming,  but  receive  all  homage.  Every  thing  is  due  to 
you.  You  owe  nothing  but  politeness.  The  Electress  of  Wur- 
temburg  is  daughter  of  the  King  of  England.  She  is  a  worthy 
woman.  You  ought  to  treat  her  kindly,  but  still  unaffectedly. 

I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  you  the  moment  my  business 
will  permit.  I  leave  immediately  for  my  advance  guard. 
The  weather  is  dreadful.  It  snows  much.  As  to  the  rest,  all 
my  affairs  go  well.  Adieu,  my  beloved  friend.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVII. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

BRUNN,  November  24,  1805. 

My  brother— -I  communicate  to  you  that  the  Emperor  of 
Germany  has  just  sent  to  me,  M.  de  Stadion,  his  minister  in 
1  The  countess  of  Sevent  was  lady  of  the  palace  to  Josephine. 


78  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Russia  and  Lieutenant-General  Count  Giulay,  intrusted  with 
full  powers  to  negotiate,  conclude,  and  sign,  a  definitive  peace 
between  France  and  Austria.  On  my  side,  I  have  named  M. 
de  Talleyrand  for  the  same  object.  You  will  have  inserted  in 
the  Moniteur  the  following  article  : 

"  M.  de  Stadion,  minister  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany  in 
Russia,  and  M.  le  Comte  Lieutenant-General  of  Giulay,  have 
been  presented  at  Brunn,  to  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the 
French,  as  plenipotentiaries  of  his  Serene  Majesty,  the  Em- 
peror of  Germany.  They  are  intrusted  with  powers  to  nego- 
tiate, conclude,  and  sign  a  definitive  peace  between  France 
and  Austria.  On  his  side,  the  Emperor  of  the  French  has 
named  M.  de  Talleyrand,  his  minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
whom  he  has  intrusted  with  powers  for  the  same  object. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  peace  will  be  the  result  of  their  nego- 
tiations ;  but  that  must  not  in  any  thing  relax  the  zeal  of  the 
administrators  of  the  nation ;  on  the  contrary,  it  should  be  a 
new  motive  for  the  conscripts  to  accelerate  their  march,  in 
order  to  justify  the  adage  so  well-known,  ifsi  vis  pacem,  para 
bellum?  (If  you  wish  for  peace,  prepare  for  war.)  His  Maj- 
esty recommends  to  the  ministers  of  War,  and  of  the  Interior, 
not  to  relax  in  any  thing  in  their  preparations." 
You  will  also  attach  to  the  article  from  Vienna, 
"  Negotiations  for  peace  have  commenced.  It  is  said  that 
the  Emperor  of  the  French  is  going  to  Italy.  Others  say 
that  it  is  his  intention  to  return  to  Paris  at  a  moment  when 
he  is  least  expected  there.  We  have  not  yet  seen  him." 


Before  the  dreadful  battle  of  Austerlitz,  Napoleon,  still  anx- 
ious to  stop  the  effusion  of  blood,  sent  an  aid-de-camp  to  the 
Emperor  Alexander,  with  a  courteous  letter  opening  the  way 
for  terms  of  accommodation.  The  letter  was  in  the  following 
terms : 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPH.  79 

LETTER  XVDI. 

NAPOLEON  TO  THE  EMPEROR  ALEXANDER. 

November  25. 

Sire — I  send  my  aid-de-camp,  General  Savary,  to  your  Maj- 
esty, to  offer  to  you  my  compliments  on  your  arrival  at  the 
head  quarters  of  your  army.  I  have  charged  him  to  express 
the  esteem  which  I  entertain  for  your  Majesty,  and  the  anx- 
ious desire  which  I  feel  to  cultivate  your  friendship.  I  in- 
dulge the  hope  that  your  Majesty  will  receive  him  with  that 
condescension  for  which  you  are  so  eminently  distinguished, 
and  that  you  will  regard  me  as  one  of  the  men  who  are  most 
desirous  to  be  agreeable  to  you.  I  pray  God  to  keep  your 
Imperial  Majesty  in  his  holy  keeping. 

The  two  Emperors  of  Austria  and  Russia  regarded  this  ap- 
plication of  Napoleon  for  peace,  only  as  an  indication  of  his 
weakness,  and  they  redoubled  their  efforts  to  crush  him.  As 
their  united  armies  were  now  quite  superior  to  the  force  at 
Napoleon's  command,  they  were  sanguine  of  success. 


LETTER  XIX. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

BRUXS,  November  26,  1805. 

My  brother — I  am  still  at  Brunn.  I  have  given  audiences 
to  Messrs.  Stadion  and  Giulay. 

To-morrow  I  receive  Monsieur  Haugwitz,  minister  of  the 
King  of  Prussia. 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  conclude  a  peace  in  a  very  short  time. 
You  will  not  doubt  the  intense  desire  I  have  to  be  on  my 
return  to  Paris.  See  if  the  Tuileries  are  at  last  finished ;  it 
seems  to  me  that  they  ought  to  have  been  ready  by  the  1st 
of  November.  The  Emperors  of  Germany  and  of  Russia  are 
at  Olinutz.  The  Russian  army  receives  reinforcements  from 
time  to  time. 


80  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  XX. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

AUSERLITZ,  December  3,  1805. 

I  have  dispatched  Lebrun  to  you  from  the  field  of  battle.  I 
have  beaten  the  Austrian  and  Russian  armies  commanded  by 
the  two  Emperors.  I  am  a  little  fatigued.  I  have  bivouacked 
eight  days  in  the  open  air,  through  some  very  cold  nights.  I 
pass  to-uight  in  the  chateau  of  Prince  Kaunifz,  where  I  am 
going  to  sleep  two  or  three  hours.  The  Russian  army  is  not 
only  beaten,  but  destroyed.  I  embrace  you.  NAPOLEON. 

Under  the  following  circumstances  the  Empress  received 
the  above  letter. 

"  Fearlessly  rushing  on,  through  the  sleet  and  the  hail  of 
a  northern  winter,  Napoleon  had  disappeared  in  the  distance 
from  the  eyes  of  France.  Austria,  Sweden,  and  Russia  were 
assembling  their  innumerable  legions  to  crush  him.  He  was 
far  from  home,  in  a  hostile  country.  Rumors  that  his  rash- 
ness had  led  to  his  ruin,  began  to  circulate  throughout  Europe. 

"  Josephine  was  almost  distracted  with  anxiety  respecting 
her  husband.  She  knew  that  a  terrible  battle  was  approach- 
ing, in  which  he  was  to  encounter  fearful  odds.  The  most 
gloomy  forebodings  pervaded  Paris,  and  all  France.  Several 
days  had  passed,  in  which  no  intelligence  whatever  had  been 
received  from  the  distant  army.  Ominous  whispers  of  defeat 
and  ruin  filled  the  air. 

"  The  cold  blasts  of  a  December  night  were  moaning  at 
her  windows,  as  Josephine  and  a  few  of  her  friends  were  as- 
sembled in  the  saloon,  anxiously  awaiting  tidings  from  Napo- 
leon. It  was  no  time  for  hilarity,  and  no  one  attempted  even  to 
promote  festive  enjoyment.  The  hour  of  nine  o'clock  had  ar- 
•rived,  and  yet  no  courier  had  appeared.  Suddenly  the  clatter 
of  iron  hoofs  was  heard,  as  a  single  horseman  galloped  into 
the  courtyard.  Josephine  almost  fainted  with  emotion  as  she 
heard  the  feeble  shout,  '  Victory  !  Austerlitz !' 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPH.  81 

"  She  rushed  to  the  window,  and  threw  it  open.  The  horse 
of  the  courier  had  fallen  dead  upon  the  pavement,  and  the 
exhausted  rider,  unable  to  stand,  was  half  reclining  by  his  side. 
In  the  intensity  of  her  impatience,  Josephine  rushed  down  the 
stairs  and  into  the  court-yard,  followed  by  all  her  ladies.  The 
faithful  messenger  was  brought  to  her  in  the  arms  of  four 
men.  He  presented  to  the  Empress  a  blurred  and  blotted 
line,  which  the  Emperor  had  written  amid  the  thunder  and 
the  smoke,  the  uproar  and  the  carnage  of  the  dreadful  day  of 
Austerlitz. 

"  The  Empress,  with  tears  almost  blinding  her  eyes,  read 
the  billet  where  she  stood,  by  the  light  of  a  torch  which  an 
attendant  had  brought  her.  She  immediately  took  from  her 
finger  a  valuable  diamond  ring,  and  presented  it  to  the  bearer 
of  the  joyful  message.  The  messenger  was  Moustache,  the 
Mameluke,  who  had  accompanied  Napoleon  from  Egypt.  He 
had  ridden,  on  horseback,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  within 
twelve  hours." 


LETTER  XXI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

AUSTERLITZ,  December  3,  1805. 

My  brother — I  imagine  that  when  this  courier  shall  reach 
you,  my  aide-de-camp,  Lebrun,  whom  I  have  dispatched  from 
the  field  of  battle,  will  have  arrived  at  Paris.  After  several 
days  of  maneuvers,  I  had  yesterday  a  decisive  battle.  I  have 
put  to  flight  the  allied  army  when  commanded  in  person  by 
the  two  Emperors  of  Russia  and  of  Germany.  Their  army 
was  composed  of  eighty  thousand  Russians,  and  of  thirty 
thousand  Austrians.  I  have  taken  from  them  nearly  forty 
thousand  prisoners,  among  whom  are  twenty  Russian  gener- 
als, also,  forty  colors,  one  hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  and  all 
the  standards  of  the  Imperial  Guard  of  Russia,  The  whole 
army  has  covered  itself  with  glory. 
4* 


82  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

The  enemy  has  left,  at  least,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand 
men  on  the  field.  I  do  not  yet  know  my  own  loss.  I  esti- 
mate it  at  eight  or  nine  hundred  men  killed,  and  twice  as 
many  wounded.  An  entire  column  of  the  enemy  cast  itself 
into  a  lake,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  were  drowned.  I 
fancy  that  I  can  still  hear  the  cries  of  these  wretches  whom 
it  was  impossible  to  save.  The  two  Emperors  are  in  a  very 
bad  position. 

You  may  print  the  substance  of  this  intelligence,  without 
giving  it  as  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  mine  ;  that  would  not 
be  proper.  You  will  receive  the  bulletin  to-morrow.  Al- 
though I  have  bivouacked  for  the  last  eight  days  in  the  open 
air,  my  health  is,  nevertheless,  good.  To-night  I  sleep  in  a 
bed  in  the  fine  chateau  of  M.  Kaunitz  at  Austerlitz ;  and  I 
have  changed  my  linen,  which  I  have  not  done  before  for 
eight  days.  A  charge  took  place  between  my  guard  and  that 
of  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  The  guard  of  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  was  demolished  (culbutee).  Prince  Rempin,  com- 
mandant of  the  corps,  was  taken  with  a  part  of  his  men,  and 
all  the  standards  and  the  artillery  of  the  Russian  guard. 

The  Emperor  of  Germany  has  sent  to  me  this  morning  the 
Prince  of  Zichteinstein  to  ask  of  mo  an  interview.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  peace  may  speedily  follow.  My  army  on  the  field 
of  battle  was  smaller  than  his,  but  the  enemy  was  taken  in  a 
false  position  while  he  was  maneuvering. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   MUNICH. 

AUSTERLITZ,  December  5,  1805. 

I  have  concluded  a  truce.  The  Russians  have  gone  home 
again.  The  battle  of  Austerlitz  is  the  most  glorious  of  all 
which  I  have  gained.  Forty-five  stands  of  colors,  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  cannon,  the  banners  of  the 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HOETENSS.  83 

Russian  guard,  twenty  generals,  thirty  thousand  prisoners, 
more  than  twenty  thousand  killed.  Horrible  spectacle  ! 

The  Emperor  Alexander  is  in  despair,  and  has  gone  to  Rus- 
sia. I  saw,  yesterday,  at  my  bivouac,  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many. We  talked  two  hours.  We  have  agreed  upon  an 
immediate  peace.  The  weather  is  not  yet  very  bad.  At  last, 
repose  is  restored  to  the  Continent ;  let  us  hope  that  it  will  be 
to  the  world.  The  English  will  not  know  how  to  make  oppo- 
sition to  us. 

I  shall  greet,  with  much  pleasure,  the  moment  which  will 
bring  me  near  to  you.  There  is  prevailing  here  a  little  dis- 
ease of  the  eyes,  which  lasts  a  couple  of  days.  I  have  not 
yet  been  affected  by  it. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  friend.  I  am  very  well,  and  I  greatly 
desire  to  clasp  you  in  my  arms.  NAPOLEON. 


Immediately  after  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  Josephine  wrote 
the  following  to  Hortense. 

LETTER  XXm. 

JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE  AT  PARIS. 

MUNICH, ,  1805. 

Behold  me  at  Munich,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  h'ttle  fatigued, 
though  pretty  well.  I  have  received  your  letter.  It  has 
given  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  ;  but  I  am  extremely  sur- 
prised at  the  rumors  of  which  you  speak  to  me.  Assuredly, 
if  there  were  really  a  question  of  the  marriage  of  your 
brother,  you  would  be  the  first  person  to  whom  I  should  com- 
municate it.  I  am  informed  that  the  Germafr  newspapers 
spoke  of  it  while  I  was  at  Strasbourg.  I  remember  that  at 
that  time  every  one  believed  in  the  marriage.  I  found  my- 
self to  be  the  only  one  who  was  not  in  the  secret. 

You  know  very  well,  my  love,  that  the  Emperor,  who  has 
never  spoken  to  me  upon  the  subject,  would  not  marry  Eu- 
gene without  my  knowledge.  Still,  I  accept  the  public  rumor. 


84  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

I  should  love  very  much  to  have  her  for  a  daughter-in-law.1 
She  is  a  charming  character  and  beautiful  as  an  angel.  She 
unites  to  an  elegant  figure,  the  most  graceful  carriage  I  have 
ever  known. 

I  am  no  better  informed  as  to  the  time  when  the  Emperor 
will  return  to  Paris,  or  when  he  will  come  to  Munich.  He 
sent  to  me,  yesterday,  one  of  his  aides-de-camp  with  the  news 
of  a  complete  victory  gained  over  the  Russians.  He  wrote 
me  four  lines,  informed  me  that  his  health  was  very  good,  but 
said  nothing  of  his  return.  I  am  much  pleased  with  what 
you  have  informed  me  respecting  the  course  of  conduct  which 
Stephanie  has  pursued.  She  is  right  in  waiting  for  the  Em- 
peror to  decide  for  her.  It  is  to  him  that  I  leave  the  care  of 
establishing  my  family ;  and  she  can  not  do  better  than  to 
pursue  the  same  course  of  conduct  which  she  has  commenced. 

M.  Deschamps5  will  send  you  an  account  of  my  journey, 
and  the  detail  of  the  reception  I  have  met  with  in  all  the 
courts.  At  Augsburg  the  Princess  Cunegonde  spoke  to  me 
much  of  Madame  Boubers ;  she  is  delighted  to  learn  that  she 
is  with  you ;  she  has  entreated  me  to  recommend  her  to  you. 
It  appears  that  she  has  preserved  for  Madame  Boubers  a  very 
strong  attachment. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  embrace  you  and  also  your 
children  with  my  whole  heart.  When  any  of  the  family 
speak  to  you  of  marriage,  you  can  communicate  to  them  the 
contents  of  my  letter ;  you  may  even  communicate  them  to 
Madame  Murat. 

At  the  moment  in  which  I  am  closing  this  sheet,  there  is 
announced  to  me,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  page,  with  a  letter 
from  the  Emperor.  I  should  be  very  glad  to  send  it  to  you 
with  this,  but  I  must  keep  it  one  day  longer.  I  wish  to  read 
it  again.  The  Emperor  informs  me  that  he  has  seen  the  Em- 
peror of  Germany,  and  that  he  has  agreed  with  him  to  make 
a  speedy  peace.  JOSEPHINE. 

1  The  princess  Auguste  Amelie,  of  Bavaria^  is  here  alluded  to. 

2  Secretary  of  the  Empress. 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  85 

LETTER  XXIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MUNICH. 

AUSTERLITZ,  December  7,  1805. 

I  Lave  concluded  an  armistice.  Before  eight  days,  peace 
will  be  made.  I  hope  to  learn  that  you  have  arrived  at  Mu- 
nich, in  good  health.  The  Russians  have  retired.  They  have 
sustained  an  immense  loss  ;  more  than  twenty  thousand  killed 
and  thirty  thousand  taken.  Their  army  is  reduced  some 
three  fourths.  Buxhowden,  their  general-in-chief,  is  killed. 
I  have  three  thousand  wounded,  and  seven  or  eight  hundred 
dead. 

I  have  a  slight,  inflammation  in  the  eyes.  It  is  a  prevailing 
malady,  and  a  trifle.  Adieu,  my  love  ;  I  desire  very  much  to 
see  you  again.  I  sleep  this  night  at  Vienna. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MUNICH. 

BRUNN,'  December  10,  1805. 

It  is  a  very  long  time  since  I  have  heard  from  you.  The 
splendid  fetes  of  Baden,  of  Stuttgard,  and  of  Munich,  do  they 
cause  you  to  forget  the  poor  soldiers,  who  live  covered  with 
mud,  with  rain,  and  with  blood  ? 

I  shall  depart  shortly  for  Vienna.  We  are  laboring  to  con- 
clude peace.  The  Russians  are  gone ;  and  have  fled  far  from 

1  An  important  town  in  Austria,  about  seventy  miles  north-east  of 
Vienna,  and  but  a  few  miles  from  Austerlitz.  Here  Napoleon  had 
established  his  head  quarters  to  conduct  negotiations  for  peace.  "  Na- 
poleon," says  Thiers,  "  after  attending  to  his  wounded;  sending  off  to 
Vienna  those  who  were  capable  of  being  removed ;  after  dispatching 
to  France  the  prisoners  and  the  cannon  taken  from  the  enemy,  quitted 
Brunn,  leaving  M.  de  Talleyrand  to  discuss  conditions  with  the  Aus- 
trian commissioners." 


86  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

here.     They  are  returning  to  Eussia,  well  beaten  and  very 
inuch  humbled. 

I  desire  very  much  to  find  myself  again  near  you.     Adieu, 
my  love.    The  inflammation  in  my  eyes  is  cured. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MUNICH. 

December  19,  1805. 

Grand  Empress,  not  one  letter  from  you,  since  your  depart- 
ure from  Strasbourg.  You  have  gone  to  Baden,  to  Stuttgard, 
to  Munich,  without  writing  us  one  word.  This  is  neither 
very  amiable  nor  very  affectionate.  I  am  still  at  Brunn.  The 
Eussians  have  left.  I  have  a  truce.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  see 
what  is  to  be  done.  Deign  from  the  height  of  your  grand- 
eurs to  occupy  yourself  a  little  with  your  slaves. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXVH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MUNICH. 

ScHOENBRtiN,1  December  20,  1805. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  16th.  I  learn,  with  sor- 
row, tli  at  you  are  sufferring.  It  is  not  a  wise  arrangement  to 
undertake  a  journey  of  one  hundred  miles  at  this  season  of 
the  year.  I  know  not  what  I  shall  do ;  I  depend  upon  events ; 
I  have  no  will  of  my  own  ;  I  wait  entirely  their  issue.  Re- 
main at  Munich  ;  amuse  yourself.  That  is  not  difficult  when 
one  has  so  many  agreeable  companions  and  is  in  so  fine  a 

1  Schoenbrun  was  the  most  celebrated  palace  of  the  Emperor  of 
Austria;  it  was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Vienna,  Soon  after  this, 
peace  being  settled,  Napoleon  left  Vienna  for  Munich,  on  his  way  to 
Paris. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.  87 

country.     I  am,  myself,  very  much  occupied.     la  a  few  days 
I  shall  be  decided. 

Adieu,  rny  love ;  my  kind  and  loving  regards. 

NAPOLEON. 


Napoleon  tarried  a  few  days  at  Munich,  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  Bavaria,  when  on  his  return  to  France,  to  attend 
the  nuptials  of  Eugene  with  the  Princess  Augusta  Amelie,  of 
Bavaria.  The  marriage  ceremony  took  place  on  the  13th  of 
January,  1806.  The  following  letter  from  Josephine  to  Hor- 
tense,  alludes  to  this  event. 

LETTER  XXVIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

MUNICH,  January  7,  1806. 

I  am  not  willing  to  lose  a  moment,  my  dear  Hortense,  in 
informing  you  that  the  marriage  of  Eugene  with  the  Princess 
Augusta,  daughter  of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  is  just  definitely 
arranged.  You  will  appreciate,  as  I  do,  all  the  value  of  this 
new  proof  of  the  attachment  which  the  Emperor  manifests 
for  your  brother.  Nothing  in  the  world  could  be  more  agree- 
able to  me  than  this  alliance.  The  young  Princess  unites  to 
a  charming  figure,  all  the  qualities  which  can  render  a  woman 
interesting  and  lovely.  I  can  conceive  all  the  regret  you 
must  experience  in  not  being  able  to  be  with  us  at  Munich, 
and  I  am  not  surprised  at  the  chagrin  which  the  letter 
which  your  husband  has  written  to  you  upon  this  subject,  has 
caused  you,  and  I  clearly  perceive  that  you  have  not  been 
able  to  resist  making  earnest  entreaties.  Still  it  must  be  a 
consolation  to  you  that  the  marriage  is  not  to  take  place  here ; 
it  is  to  be  celebrated  in  Paris.  Thus  you  will  be  able  to  wit- 
ness the  happiness  of  your  brother,  and  mine  will  be  perfect, 
since  I  shall  find  myself  united  to  both  of  my  dear  children. 
My  health  is  very  good,  and  the  happiness  I  experience  in 


88  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

th,e  thought  of  again  seeing  my  son,  can  only  contribute  to 
maintain  it. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  Hortense  ;  I  hope  that  we  shall  all  soon 
be  reunited.  JOSEPHINE. 


There  was  subsequently  a  change  in  the  arrangements,  and 
the  nuptials  were  solemnized  in  Munich.  The  Emperor  wrote 
as  follows  to  Hortense. 

LETTER  XXIX. 

NAPOLEON    TO    HORTENSE. 

MUNICH,  January  9,  1806. 

My  daughter — Eugene  arrives  to-morrow,  and  is  to  be  mar- 
ried in  four  days.  I  should  have  been  very  happy  if  you 
could  have  attended  his  marriage ;  but  there  is  no  longer 
time.  The  Princess  Augusta  is  tall,  beautiful,  and  full  of 
good  qualities,  and  you  will  have,  in  all  respects,  a  sister 
worthy  of  you.  A  thousand  kisses  to  M.  Napoleon. 

NAPOLEON. 

After  the  marriage  of  Eugene,  Josephine  returned  with 
Napoleon  to  Paris.  M.  Thiers  thus  speaks  •  of  the  Emperor's 
return  : 

"  Napoleon,  after  attending  the  wedding  of  Eugene  Beau- 
harnais  and  the  Princess  Augusta,  after  enjoying  the  happi- 
ness of  a  son  whom  he  loved,  the  admiration  of  a  people 
eager  to  see  him,  the  flatteries  of  an  enemy,  the  Electress  of 
Bavaria,  set  out  for  Paris,  where  the  enthusiasm  of  France 
awaited  him. 

"  A  campaign  of  three  months  instead  of  a  war  of  several 
years,  as  it  had  been  at  first  feared,  the  continent  disarmed, 
the  French  empire  extended  to  limits  which  it  ought  never  to 
have  passed,  a  dazzling  glory  added  to  our  arms,  public  and 
private  credit  miraculously  restored,  new  prospects  of  peace 


JOSEPHINE   TO   HORTENSE.          89 

and  prosperity  opened  to  the  nation,  under  a  government 
powerful  and  respected  by  the  world ;  that  was  what  the  peo- 
ple meant  to  thank  him  for,  by  a  thousand  times  repeated 
shouts  of  Vive  F  Empereur  !  With  these  cries  he  was  greeted 
even  at  Strasbourg,  in  crossing  the  Rhine,  and  they  accom- 
panied him  to  Paris." 


Soon  after  Napoleon  returned  to  the  Tuileries,  Louis  Bonn- 
parte  became  King  of  Holland,  and  Hortense,  bidding  adieu 
to  her  saddened  mother,  retired  to  that  kingdom.  Josephine 
was  now  separated  from  both  of  her  children,  Eugene  being 
King  of  Italy,  and  Hortense,  Queen  of  Holland.  In  the  fol- 
lowing pensive  strain  the  mother  wrote  to  her  daughter. 

LETTER  XXX. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE,    AT    THE    HAGUE. 

ST.  .CLOUD,  July  15,  1806. 

I  can  not  permit  Despres  to  leave  me,  my  dear  Hortense, 
without  sending  to  you,  by  him,  a  few  lines.  Since  your  de- 
parture I  have  been  continually  suffering,  sad  and  sorrowful ; 
I  have  even  been  compelled  to  keep  my  bed,  having  a  slight 
attack  of  fever.  The  sickness  has  almost  entirely  disappeared, 
but  the  grief  remains.  How  can  it  be  otherwise  when  I  am 
separated  from  a  daughter  like  you,  affectionate,  amiable,  and 
lovely,  who  constitutes  the  joy  of  my  life.  The  festivities  are 
still  postponed ;  they  will  not  take  place  until  the  15th  of 
September.  I  hope  that  this  postponement  will  induce  you 
to  pass  the  winter  with  us.  I  rely  upon  the  promise  of  your 
husband,  upon  your  own,  and  upon  that  of  the  Emperor. 
Eugene  will  be  here  at  that  time.  His  wife  is  decidedly 
endente.  I  received  a  letter  from  Eugene,  yesterday,  which 
gave  me  this  news.  He  is  very  happy. 

How  is  your  husband  ?  My  grandchildren,  are  they  well  ? 
Indeed  how  sad  I  am  in  being  no  longer  able  to  see  them. 


90  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

And  your  health,  my  dear  Hor tense,  is  it  good  ?  If  you  are 
ever  sick,  inform  me.  I  will  immediately  hasten  to  my  be- 
loved child.  All  the  family  are  well.  I  have  heard  news 
from  the  Princess  of  Baden.  She  has  been  received  very 
kindly  into  the  family  of  her  husband.  Prince  Murat  is  about 
to  be  created  Grand  Duke  of  Berg.  I  intend  to  write  soon 
to  your  husband  to  solicit '  his  interest  for  M.  d'Osmond.  I 
hear  many  good  things  of  that  young  man.  It  is  said  that 
he  is  intelligent,  well  educated,  perfectly  familiar  with  the 
Italian,  the  English,  and  another  language.  He  solicits  the 
situation  of  ecuyer  in  the  service  of  the  King.  He  has  a  sis- 
ter who  has  an  income  of  fourteen  thousand  louis,  and  she 
will  provide  every  thing  that  may  be  necessary  for  him. 

M.  d'Aremberg  is  still  deeply  in  love  with  Stephanie.1 
You  know  that  he  has  gone  to  the  mineral  springs.  His  con- 
tract of  marriage  is  made ;  it  appears  that  they  are  to  be 
married  in  the  month  of  September.  All  the  family  of  Arem- 
berg  are  about  leaving  for  Belgium.  The  mother  and  the 
son  propose  to  go  to  Holland  to  make  you  a  short  visit.  The 
more  I  become  acquainted  with  this  family,  the  more  highly 
I  appreciate  the  happiness  of  my  cousin  in  being  connected 
with  it.  I  have  written  you  a  long  letter.  I  have  wished  to 
recompense  myself  to-day  for  the  privation  of  not  having 
written  to  you  since  your  departure. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense,  my  beloved  child.  Think  often 
of  your  mother,  and  believe  that  there  never  was  a  child  more 
tenderly  cherished  than  you. 

My  most  affectionate  remembrance  to  your  husband.  I 
embrace  my  grandchildren.  JOSEPHINE. 

1  Mademoiselle  Stephanie  Tascher,  was  a  cousin  of  the  Empress. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

LETTERS  IN   1806,  DURING  THE   CAMPAIGNS   OP   JENA 
AND  AUERSTADT. 

NOT  ten  months  had  elapsed  after  Napoleon's  return  to 
Paris  from  Austerlitz,  ere  another  coalition,  which  made  the 
sixth,  was  organized  against  the  republican  Emperor.  Alex- 
ander, mortified  by  the  terrible  defeat  of  Austerlitz,  was  anx- 
ious to  retrieve  his  military  reputation.  England,  Russia, 
and  Prussia  were  combined  in  this  new  alliance.  In  reference 
to  this  renewed  combination  against  France,  the  following  ar- 
ticle appeared  in  the  Mvniteur,  which  was  attributed  to  the 
pen  of  Napoleon : 

"  Why  should  hostilities  arise  between  France  and  Russia  ? 
Perfectly  independent  of  each  other,  they  are  impotent  to  in- 
flict evil,  but  all  powerful  to  communicate  benefits.  If  the 
Emperor  of  France  exercises  a  great  influence  in  Italy,  the 
Czar  exercises  a  still  greater  influence  over  Turkey  and  Per- 
sia. If  the  Cabinet  of  Russia  pretends  to  have  a  right  to  affix 
limits  to  the  power  of  France,  without  doubt  it  is  equally  dis- 
posed to  allow  the  Emperor  of  the  French  to  prescribe  the 
bounds  beyond  which  Russia  is  not  to  pass.  Russia  has  par- 
titioned Poland.  Can  she  then  complain  that  France  possesses 
Belgium,  and  the>left  bank  of  the  Rhine  ?  Russia  has  seized 
upon  the  Crimea,  the  Caucasus,  and  the  «orthern  provinces 
of  Persia.  Can  she  deny  that  the  right  of  self-preservation 
gives  France  a  title  to  demand  an  equivalent  in  Europe  ? 

"Let  every  power  begin  by  restoring  the  conquests" which 
it  has  made  during  the  last  fifty  years.  Let  them  re-establish 


92  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Poland,  restore  Venice  to  its  senate,  Trinidad  to  Spain,  Ceylon 
to  Holland,  the  Crimea  to  the  Porte,  the  Caucasus  and  Georgia 
to  Persia,  the  kingdom  of  Mysore  to  the  sons  of  Tippoo  Saib, 
and  the  Mahratta  States  to  their  lawful  owners,  and  then  the 
other  powers  may  have  some  title  to  insist  that  France  shall 
retire  within  her  ancient  limits.  It  is  the  fashion  to  speak  of 
the  ambition  of  France.  Had  she  chosen  to  preserve  her  con- 
quests, the  half  of  Austria,  the  Venetian  States,  the  States  of 
Holland  and  Switzerland,  and  the  kingdom  of  Naples  would 
have  been  in  her  possession.  The  limits  of  France  are,  in  real- 
ity, the  Adige  and  the  Rhine.  Has  it  passed  either  of  these 
limits  ?  Had  it  fixed  on  the  Solza  and  the  Drave,  it  would  not 
have  exceeded  the  bounds  of  its  conquest." 

To  this  statement  no  reply  was  attempted.  Alexander, 
young  and  ambitious,  was  anxious  to  efface  the  stain  of  Aus- 
terlitz  ;  Prussia,  stimulated  by  a  romantic  queen,  resolved  to 
measure  swords  with  the  great  conqueror  ;  England,  burdened 
with  her  enormous  conquests,  extending  through  two  hemi- 
spheres, had  the  unparalleled  effrontery  to  reiterate  her  cry 
against  the  "  insatiable  ambition  of  Bonaparte? 

Napoleon,  with  much  regret,  contemplated  the  rising  of 
this  new  storm,  but,  with  his  accustomed  energy,  prepared  to 
meet  it.  In  his  parting  message  to  the  senate,  as  he  left  Paris, 
he  said : 

"  In  so  just  a  war,  which  we  have  not  provoked  by  any  act, 
by  any  pretense,  the  true  cause  of  which  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  assign,  we  depend  entirely  upon  the  support  of  the  laws, 
and  upon  that  of  the  people  whom  circumstances  call  upon  to 
give  fresh  proofs  of  their  devotion  and  courage." 

To  his  brother  Joseph  he  wrote  : 

'*  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness.  The  present  struggle  will  be 
speedily  terminated.  Prussia  and  her  allies,  be  they  who  they 
may,  will  be  crushed.  And  this  time  I  will  finally  settle  with 
Europe.  I  will  put  it  out  of  the 'power  of  my  enemies  to  stir 
for  ten  years." 

In  September  the  Allies  commenced  their  march.     Prussia, 


JOSEPHINE     TO     HOKTENSE.  to      93 

with  an  army  of  two  hundred  thousand  men,  invaded  Saxony, 
an  ally  of  France,  to  compel  its  king  to  join  the  alliance 
against  Napoleon.  Alexander,  with  two  hundred  thousand 
troops,  was  making  forced  marches  across  the  plains  of  Poland, 
to  swell  the  enormous  host  in  their  invasion  of  France.  En- 
gland was  co-operating,  in  every  possible  way,  with  her  bound- 
less supply  of  gold,  and  her  invincible  fleet. 

At  midnight,  on  the  24th  of  September,  1806,  Napoleon 
left  Paris  in  his  carriage,  with  Josephine  and  Talleyrand,  to 
join  the  army  which  he  had  already  forwarded  to  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine.  Josephine  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Mayence, 
that  she  might  be  nearer  her  husband,  and  thus  be  able  to  re- 
ceive from  him  earlier  tidings. 


LETTER  I. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   THE    HAGUE. 

PARIS  (no  date),  1806. 

All  your  letters,  my  dear  Hortense,  are  charming,  and  you 
are  very  kind  to  send  them  to  me  so  often.  I  have  also  news 
from  Eugene  and  his  wife.  I  see  that  they  are  happy,  and  I 
am  more  happy  myself,  particularly  at  this  moment,  for  I  shall 
go  with  the  Emperor,  and  I  am  making  preparations  for  the 
journey.  I  assure  you  that  this  new  war,  if  it  must  take 
place,  causes  me  no  anxiety.  But  the  nearer  I  am  to  the  Em- 
peror, the  less  solicitude  I  shall  feel,  and  I  am  confident  that  I 
could  not  live  if  I  must  remain  here. 

Another  source  of  joy  to  me  is,  that  I  shall  see  you  again 
at  Mayence.  The  Emperor  wishes  me  to  say  to  you  that  he 
has  just  given  to  the  King  of  Holland  an  army  of  eighty  thou- 
sand men,  and  that  his  command  will  extend  nearly  to  May- 
ence. He  thinks  that  you  will  come  and  remain  with  me  at 
Mriyence.  Judge,  my  dear  Hortense,  if  lhat  is  not  delightful 
news  for  a  mother  who  loves  you  so  tenderly.  Every  day  we 
sh;ill  receive  news  from  the  Emperor,  and  from  your  hflsband. 
We  will  rejoice  together.  The  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  has  spoken 


94         *  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

to  me  of  you,  and  of  your  children.  Embrace  them  for  me, 
until  I  shall  be  able  to  embrace  them  and  my  dear  daughter 
myself;  and  this  I  hope  will  be  very  soon.  My  most  affec- 
tionate remembrance  to  the  king.  The  Emperor  sends  to  you 
his  kindest  regards.  JOSEPHINE. 


Napoleon,  with  great  skill,  had  transported  his  army  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  men  to  the  Rhine,  that  he 
might  attack  the  Prussians  before  they  could  be  strengthened 
by  the  arrival  of  the  Russians.  Leaving  Josephine  at  May- 
ence,  he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  troops  and  com- 
menced his  march  to  repel  his  assailants.  There  was  before 
Rim  the  prospect  of  a  long  war,  with  these  powerful  mon- 
archies, in  the  distant  and  wintery  north.  Already  the  chill 
•winds  of  departing  autumn  began  to  sweep  over  these  inhos- 
pitable plains.  The  Empress,  in  bidding  her  husband  adieu, 
wept  bitterly.  Napoleon  was  also  himself  for,a  moment  over- 
come, and  as  he  folded  Josephine  to  his  bosom  his  tears  were 
mingled  with  hers.  During  this  campaign  Napoleon  wrote  to 
the  Empress  as  follows : 

LETTER  II. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

October  5,  1806. 

There  can  be  no  objection  that  the  Princess  of  Baden 
should  repair  to  Mayence.  I  know  not  why  you  weep ;  you 
do  wrong  thus  to  impair  your  health.  Hortense  is  a  little 
pedant ;  she  loves  to  give  advice.  She  has  written  to  me ;  I 
have  replied  to  her.  She  ought  to  be  happy  and  cheerful. 
Fortitude  and  cheerfulness — this  is  the  recipe. 

Adieu,  my  love.  The  grand  duke  has  spoken  to  me  of 
you.  He  saw  you  at  Florence  during  the  retreat. 


Napoleon  was  much  irritated  in  being  thus  perfidiously 
attacked  by  this  new  coalition.     The  following  letter  which 


NAPOLEON     TO     ROCHEFOUCAULD.  95 

he  wrote  the  next  day  to  M.  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  his  minister 
to  the  court. of  Austria,  will  show  the  feelings  with  which  he 
entered  upon  this  war. 

LETTER  HI. 

NAPOLEON    TO     M.    DE    LA     ROCHEFOUCAULD,    FRENCH 
EMBASSADOR   AT   VIENNA. 

WURZBURG,  October  6,  1806. 

I  have  been,  since  yesterday,  at  Wurzburg,  which  has  given 
me  occasion  to  converse  a  long  time  with  his  Royal  High- 
ness. I  have  acquainted  him  with  my  firm  resolution  to 
break  all  the  ties  of  alliance  which  bind  me  to  Prussia,  be 
the  result  of  present  affairs  what  it  may.  According  to  my 
last  accounts  from  Berlin,  it  is  possible  that  war  may  not  take 
place  ;  but  I  am  resolved  not  to  be  the  ally  of  a  power  so 
versatile  and  so  despicable.  I  shall  be  at  peace  with  her,  no 
doubt,  because  I  have  no  right  to  spill  the  blood  of  my  peo- 
ple under  vain  pretexts.  Still  the  necessity  for  directing  my 
efforts  toward  my  navy,  renders  an  alliance  upon  the  conti- 
nent indispensable  for  me.  Circumstances  had  led  me  to  an 
alliance  with  Prussia,  but  that  power  is,  at  this  day,  what  it 
was  in  1740,  and  what  it  has  been  at  all  times,  without  con- 
sistency and  without  honor.  I  have  esteemed  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  even  amid  his  reserves  and  the  events  which  have 
divided  us.  I  believe  him  to  be  constant  and  faithful  to  his 
word.  You  must  explain  yourself  in  this  spirit  without,  how- 
ever, employing  a  misplaced  urgency. 

My  position  and  my  forces  are  such  that  I  need  not  fear 
any  body ;  but  all  these  efforts  press  at  last  upon  my  people. 
Of  the  three  powers,  Russia,  Prussia,  and  Austria,  I  must  have 
one  for  my  ally.  In  no  case  can  Prussia  be  trusted.  Russia 
and  Austria  alone  are  left  me.  The  navy  flourished  former- 
ly in  France,  through  the  benefit  which  we  derived  from  the 
alliance  of  Austria.  That  power,  besides,  feels  the  necessity 
for  remaining  quiet ;  a  sentiment  in  which  I  also  heartily  join. 


96  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

An  alliance  founded  on  the  independence  of  the  Ottoman 
empire,  on  the  guaranty  of  our  dominions,  and  on  amicable 
arrangements  which  would  consolidate  the  peace  of  Europe, 
and  would  enable  me  to  throw  my  efforts  upon  my  navy, 
would  suit  me.  The  House  of  Austria,  having  frequently 
made  insinuations  to  me,  the  present  moment,  if  it  knows 
how  to  profit  by  it,  is  the  most  favorable  of  all.  I  shall  say 
no  more  to  you.  I  have  explained  my  sentiments  more  at 
length  to  the  Prince  of  Benevento,  who  will  not  fail  to  in- 
form you  of  them.  For  the  rest,  your  mission  will  be  fulfilled 
whenever  you  signify  in  the  slightest  possible  manner  that  I 
am  not  adverse  from  adhering  to  a  system  which  should  knit 
more  firmly  my  ties  with  Austria.  Fail  not  to  keep  an  eye 
upon  Moldavia  and  Wallachia,  and  to  inform  me  of  the  move- 
ments of  the  Russians  against  the  Ottoman  empire.  Where- 
upon, etc.,  etc.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

BAMBERG,'  October  7,  1806. 

I  leave  this  morning,  my  love,  for  Cronach."  My  whole 
army  is  in  motion.  Every  thing  goes  well.  My  health  is 
perfect.  I  have  as  yet  received  but  one  letter  from  you.  I 
have  received  letters  from  Eugene  and  Hortense.  Stephanie3 
ought  to  be  with  you.  Her  husband  is  eager  for  war.  He  is 
with  me.  Adieu ;  a  thousand  kisses  and  good  health. 

NAPOLEON. 

1  A  city  of  Bavaria,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  east   of 
Mayence. 

2  A  small  town   on  tbe  frontiers   of  Bavaria,   about  fifty  miles 
north-east  of  Bamberg. 

3  A  niece  of  Josephine,  to  whom  both  she  and  Napoleon  were  ten- 
derly attached.     She  married  the  Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  a  duchy 
belonging  to  the  confederation  of  the  Rhine  which  was  under  the  pro- 
tection of  Napoleon. 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPHINE.  07 

LETTER  V. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MAYENCE. 
GERtJ,1  October  13,  1806;  2  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  am,  to-day,  at  Geru,  my  love.     My  affairs  arc  very  pros- 
perous ami  all  things  go  as  I  could  wish.     With  the  aid  of 
God,  in  a  few  days,  this  will  have  assumed  a  very  terrible 
character,  I  think,  for  the  poor  King  of  Prussia,  whom  per- 
sonally I  pity,  for  he  is  a  good   man.      The   queen"  is  at 

1  A  small  town  in  Prussia^  on  the  Elster,  about  thirty  miles  south- 
west of   Leipsic,   and  about   three    hundred    miles  from  Mayence. 
Geru  was  but  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  fields  where,  the  next  day, 
the  terrible  battles  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt  were  fought.    When  Napo- 
leon wrote  this  letter  he  was  concentrating  his  troops  for  the  conflict. 

2  The  Queen  of  Prussia,  with  foolish  and  unwomanly  ambition,  had 
instigated  the  war.     In  reference  to  this  fact  Napoleon  stated  in  his 
first,  bulletin: 

"  The  Queen  of  Prussia  is  with  the  army,  dressed  as  an  Amazon, 
bearing  the  uniform  of  her  regiment  of  dragoons,  writing  twenty  let- 
ters a  day,  to  spread  the  conflagration  in  all  directions.  We  seem  to 
see  Armida  in  her  madness,  setting  fire  to  her  own  palace.  After  her 
follows  Prince  Louis  of  Prussia,  a  young  Prince  full  of  bravery  and 
courage,  hurried  on  by  the  spirit  of  party,  who  flatters  himself  that  he 
shall  find  great  renown  in  the  vicissitudes  of  war.  Imitating  the  ex- 
ample of  these  illustrious  persons  all  the  court  cries  '  To  armsT  But 
when  war  shall  have  reached  them  with  its  horrors,  all  will  seek  to 
exculpate  themselves  from  having  been  instrumental  in  bringing  its 
thunders  to  the  peaceful  plains  of  the  north." 

In  reference  to  these  military  assumptions  of  the  queen,  Thiers 
remarks : 

"  To  these  military  personages  were  added  several  civil  personages, 
besides  a  great  number  of  German  princes,  among  the  rest  the  Elector 
of  Hesse,  whom  vain  efforts  wore  made  to  drag  into  the  war  ;  and  last- 
ly, completing  this  medley,  the  queen,  with  some  of  her  ladies,  riding 
on  horseback,  and  showing  herself  to  the  troops,  who  greeted  her  with 
their  acclamations.  When  sensible  persons  inquired  what  that  august 
personage  did  there — she,  who,  by  her  position  and  rank  seemed  so 
out  of  place  in  head-quarters — the  reply  was  that  her  energy  was  use- 
ful, that  she  alone  kept  the  king  steady,  preventing  his  swerving ;  and 
thus  there  was  alleged,  in  excuse  for  her  presence,  a  reason  not  less  in- 
decorous than  her  presence  itself." 
5 


CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Erfurth1  with  the  king.     If  she  wishes  to  see  a  battle,  she 
will  have  that  cruel  pleasure. 

I  am  remarkably  well.  I  have  even  gained  flesh  since  I 
left  you.  Nevertheless,  I  ride  from  sixty  to  seventy-five  miles 
a  day,  on  horseback,  in  a  carriage,  and  in  all  ways.  I  retire  at 
8  o'clock  and  rise  at  midnight.  I  think  sometimes  that  you 
have  not  yet  retired.  Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


Before  the  battle  of  Jena,  Napoleon,  having  so  effected  all 
his  arrangements  as  to  be  confident  of  victory,  still  anxious  to 
stop  the  effusion  of  blood,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  King  of 
Prussia,  in  the  following  earnest  terms.  To  this  letter  no 
other  reply  was  made  than  with  charges  of  cavalry,  and  with 
the  thunders  of  artillery. 

LETTER  VI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    THE   KING    OF   PRUSSIA. 

Sire — The  success  of  my  arms  is  not  doubtful.  Your 
troops  will  be  beaten.  But  it  will  cost  me  the  blood  of  my 
children.  If  that  can  be  spared  by  any  arrangement  consist- 
ent with  the  dignity  of  my  crown,  I  will  do  all  that  may  de- 
pend upon  myself.  Excepting  honor,  nothing  is  so  precious  in 
my  eyes  as  the  blood  of  my  soldiers. 


LETTER  VH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MATENCE. 

JENA,  October  16 ;  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
My  love — I  have  made  some  fine  maneuvers  against  the 
Prussians.     I  gained  yesterday  a  great  victory.     There  were 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men.     I  have  taken  twenty 

1  A  strong  walled  city  about  seventy  miles  from  Leipsic,  and  forty 
miles  from  Geru. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  99 

thousand  prisoners,  captured  one  hundred  pieces  of  cannon, 
and  some  standards.  I  was  in  the  presence,  and  near  the  per- 
son of  the  King  of  Prussia.  I  barely  failed  taking  both  him 
and  the  queen.  I  have  bivouacked  two  days.  I  am  remark- 
ably well. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  take  care  of  yourself,  and  love  me.  If 
Hortense  is  at  Mayence,  give  her  a  kiss,  also  to  Napoleon,1  and 
to  the  baby.* 

This  letter  was  written  upon  the  field  of  battle,  while  the 
cannonade  of  the  pursuers  and  the  pursued  still  filled  the  air. 
In  this  terrible  battle,  Prince  Louis,  of  Prussia,  in  his  attempt- 
ed flight,  was  thrust  through  by  a  sword,  and  instantly  killed. 


"  From  Jeua,"  says  Thiers,  "  Napoleon  proceeded  to  Wei- 
mar. He  found  there  the  whole  court  of  the  grand  duke,  in- 
cluding the  grand  duchess,  sister  of  the  Emperor  Alexander. 
The  grand  duke  alone  was  absent,  having  command  of  a  Prus- 
sian division.  This  polished  and  learned  court  had  made 
Weimar  the  Athens  of  modern  Germany,  and  under  its  pro- 
tection Goethe,  Schiller,  and  Wieland  lived  honored,  rich,  and 
happy.  The  grand  duchess,  who  was  accused  of  having  contrib- 
uted to  the  war,  went  to  meet  Napoleon,  and,  agitated  by  the 
tumult  which  prevailed  around  her,  she  said,  approaching  him, 

"  '  Sire,  I  recommend  my  subjects  to  you.' 

"  '  You  see,  madam,  what  war  is,'  replied  Napoleon,  coldly. 

"  For  the  rest  he  confined  himself  to  this  vengeance,  and 

1  The  eldest  son  of  Louis  Bonaparte  and  Hortense.     The  Emperor 
was  exceedingly  attached  to  this  child,  and  contemplated  making  him 
his  heir,  but  unfortunately  this  little  boy,  a  child  of  remarkable  prom- 
ise, soon  died. 

2  The  second  son  of  Lpuis  and  Hortense.     He  died  in  Switzerland 
when  about  nineteen  years  of  age.     Louis  Napoleon,  the  present  Em- 
peror of  Franco,  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  three  children  of  Hortense. 
He  was  not  then  born. 


100  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

treated  this  inimical  but  lettered  court  as  Alexander  would 
have  treated  a  city  of  Greece,  showed  himself  full  of  courtesy 
toward  the  grand  duchess,  expressed  to  her  no  displeasure  at 
the  conduct  of  her  husband,  caused  the  town  of  Weimar  to 
be  respected,  and  ordered  due  attention  to  be  paid  to  the 
wounded  generals,  of  whom  it  was  full. 

LETTER  VIE. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MAYENCE. 
WEIMAR,'  October  16,  1806;  5  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
M.  Talleyrand  will  have  shown  you  the  bulletin,  my  love. 
You  will  there  have  seen  my  success.     Every  thing  has  gone 
as  I  had  calculated,  and  never  has  any  army  been  more  thor- 
oughly beaten,  and  more  entirely  destroyed.     It  only  remains 
for  me  to  say  to  you  that  I  am  well,  and  that  fatigues,  bivouacs, 
and  watchings  have  made  me  fat. 

Adieu,  my  love.     My  most  affectionate  remembrance  to 
Hortense,  and  the  grand  Monsieur  Napoleon.     Ever  thine, 

NAPOLEON. 


Napoleon,  sweeping  all  opposition  before  him,  stopped  one 
day  at  Wittemberg.1  The  following  is  but  a  part  of  the  labors 
he  pei formed  during  that  one  day  of  rest : 

He  arranged  along  his  extended  route  places  of  safety  for 
the  sick  and  the  exhausted,  and  ordered  stores  of  ammunition 
at  appointed  stations  for  the  recruits  who  were  to  come  from 

1  An  important  town  but  a  few  miles  from  Jena.     The  fugitive  Prus- 
sians fled  through  this  place,  pursued,  pell-mell,  by  the  victorious  French. 
An  awful  conflict  ensued  in  the  streets  of  the  city ;  the  houses  were 
shattered  with  balls  and  shells,  and  the  streets  ran  red  with  blood. 
Weimar  was  the  capital  of  the  duchy  of  that  name.     The  Grand  Duke 
of  Weimar  had  married  a  sister  of  Alexander,  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 
She  had  done  every  thing  in  her  power  to  instigate  the  war. 

2  An  important  city  on  the  Elbe,  about  one  hundred  miles  beyond 
Weimar,  and  within  about  sixty  miles  of  Berlin.        -•  :  «,  -- 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          101 

France.  He  put  into  the  hands  of  General  Chasseloup  a  large 
sura  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  employing  six  or  seven  thou- 
sand native  laborers,  and,  in  default  of  regular  works,  for  con- 
stfuctiug  field-works  of  great  solidity,  he  ordered  the  old 
scarps  to  be  bared  at  the  foot ;  those  which  wanted  height  to 
be  raised,  and  where  time  would  not  permit  the  employment 
of  masonry,  he  directed  wood,  which  was  very  abundant  in  the 
neighboring  forests,  to  be  substituted  for  stone.  Immense 
palissades  were  set  up ;  a  Roman  camp  was  in  some  sort  con- 
structed, such  as  the  ancient  conquerors  of  the  world  reared 
against  Gaul  and  Germany.  In  the  same  town  of  Wittem- 
borg,  Napoleon  had  ovens  built,  corn  collected,  biscuit  made. 
He  determined,  also,  that  the  great  park  of  artillery  should  be 
collected  in  this  place,  and  that  workshops  for  repairs  should 
be  established  there.  He  took  possession  of  the  public  edifices 
and  places,  to  turn  them  into  hospitals  capable  of  containing 
the  sick  and  wounded  of  a  numerous  army.  Lastly,  on  the 
suddenly-raised  ramparts  of  this  vast  depot  he  ordered  more 
than  a  hundred  pieces  of  heavy  artillery,  collected  in  his  victo- 
rious march,  to  be  placed  in  battery.  He  appointed  General 
Lemarrois,  one  of  his  aides-de-camp,  governor  of  Wittemberg. 
"  The  wounded,  separated  into  two  classes,  great  and  little 
wounded,  that  is  to  say,  such  as  would  be  able  to  return  to 
the  ranks  in  a  few  days,  and  those  whose  recovery  would 
require  a  long  time,  were  divided  between  Wittemberg  and 
Erfurth.  Those  who  were  but  little  wounded  remained  at 
Wittemberg,  so  that  they  could  rejoin  their  -corps  imme- 
diately ;  the  others  were  sent  to  Erfurth.  Each  regiment, 
besides  the  principal  depot  which  it  had  in  France,  had  also 
a  field  depot  at  Wittemberg.  In  the  latter  could  be  left  men 
who  were  fatigued  or  sightly  indisposed,  that  by  means  of 
the  attention  of  a  few  days,  they  might  be  enabled  to  march 
afresh,  without  encumbering  the  roads,  without  exhibiting 
there  the  spectacle  of  the  tail  of  an  army,  sick,  i.mpotent, 
increasing  in  length  in  proportion  to  the  rapidity  of  the 
movements  and  the  duration  of  the  war. 


102 


CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


"The  detachments  of  conscripts,  when  leaving  France  in 
bodies,  had  orders  to  halt  at  Erfurth  and  Witteinberg,  to  be 
there  reviewed,  provided  with  what  they  needed,  augmented 
by  convalescents,  and  directed  to  their  regiments.  Lastly,  to 
the  same  depots,  but  especially  to  that  of  Wittemberg,  Napo- 
leon ordered  the  immense  quantity  of  fine  horses,  picked  up 
in  all  parts  of  Germany,  to  be  sent.  He  directed  all  the  regi- 
ments of  cavalry  to  pass  through  them  in  their  turn  in  order 
to  be  remounted.  The  same  order  was  given  to  dragoons 
coming  to  France  on  foot.  There  they  would  find  horses 
which  they  could  not  procure  in  France. 

"  Thus  Napoleon  concentrated  at  these  points,  in  a  well  de- 
fended asylum,  all  the  resources  of  the  conquered  country, 
which  he  had  the  art  to  take  from  the  enemy  and  apply  to 
his  own  use.  Victorious  in  marching  forward,  he  had  in 
them  relays  abundantly  furnished  with  every  thing,  provi- 
sions, ammunition,  material,  and  situated  on  the  route  of  the 
corps,  coming  to  reinforce  the  army.  If  obliged  to  retire  they 
would  be  supports  and  means  of  refitting  placed  on  the  lines 
of  retreat.  After  inspecting  and  ordering  every  thing  him- 
self, Napoleon  left  Wittemberg  and  took  the  road  for  Berlin." 
Such  were  the  labors  of  one  day  at  Wittemberg  ;  and  yet 
Napoleon  found  time  during  that  day  to  write  to  Josephine. 

LETTER  IX. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENOE. 

WITTEMBERG,  October  23,  1806  ;  noon. 

I  have  received  many  letters  from  you.  I  can  write  you 
but  a  word.  My  affairs  are  very  prosperous.  I  shall  be  to- 
morrow at  Potsdam,  and  the  25th  at  Berlin.  I  am  remark- 
ably well  ;  fatigue  refreshes  me.  I  am  very  happy  to  hear  that 
you  are  with  Hortense  and  Stephanie,  in  very  good  company. 
The  weather,  until  now,  has  been  very  fine. 

My  most  affectionate  remembrance  to  Stephanie,  and  to  all 
your  household,  not  forgetting  Monsieur  Napoleon. 

Adieu,  my  love.    Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

LETTERS  IN  1806,  DURING  THE  MARCH  TO  THE  VISTULA. 

As  the  Allies,  after  the  battles  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt,  re- 
fused even  to  listen  to  Napoleon's  propositions  for  peace,  and 
were  rapidly  gathering  new  forces  for  the  more  vigorous  pros- 
ecution of  the  war,  Napoleon,  being  now  in  possession  of 
nearly  the  whole  of  Prussia,  inarched  resistlessly  forward  to 
meet  the  advancing  hosts  of  the  Russians.  It  was  a  dreadful 
march,  in  the  heart  of  a  northern  winter.  But  the  foresight 
of  the  Emperor  had  prepared  his  army  with  every  comfort 
possible  under  the  circumstances.  He  marched  to  the  Vis- 
tula, drove  his  foes  from  their  entrenchments  and  established 
his  winter  quarters  by  the  side  of  the  forest  which  frowned 
along  that  frozen  stream.  During  this  march  he  wrote  the 
following  letters : 

LETTER  I. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MAYENCE. 

POTSDAM,'  October  24,  1806. 

I  have  been  at  Potsdam,  my  love,  since  yesterday.  I  shall 
remain  here  to-day.  I  continue  to  be  satisfied  with  affairs. 
My  health  is  good.  I  find  Sans  Souci  very  agreeable. 

.  *  A  beautiful  city,  seventeen  miles  west  of  Berlin,  which  had  long 
been  the  favorite  residence  of  the  kings  of  Prussia.  Its  palaces 
were  reared,  and  its  gardens  laid  out  by  Frederic  the  Great,  at  an 
enormous  expense.  The  palace  of  Sans  Souci,  free  from  care,  is  very 
voluptuous  in  its  appliances.  The  city  contains  about  twenty-five 
thousand  inhabitants. 


104  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Adieu,  inv  love.  My  affectionate  remembrance  to  Hor- 
tense  and  to  Monsieur  Napoleon.  NAPOLEON. 

"Napoleon  set  out,"  says  Thiers,  "on  the  24th  of  October, 
and  passed  through  Kropstadt  on  his  way  to  Potsdam.  Per- 
forming the  journey  on  horseback,  he  was  caught  in  a  violent 
storm,  though  the  weather  had  continued  very  fine  ever  since 
the  opening  of  the  campaign.  It  was  not  his  custom  to  stop 
for  such  a  reason.  However,  he  was  offered  shelter  in  a  house 
situated  amid  woods,  and  belonging  to  an  officer  of  the  hunt- 
ing establishment  of  the  court  of  Saxony.  He  accepted  the 
offer.  Some  females,  who  seemed  from  their  language  and 
dress  to  be  of  elevated  rank,  received,  around  a  great  fire, 
this  group  of  French  officers,  whom  from  fear,  as  much  as  out 
of  politeness,  they  treated  with  much  civility.  The  females 
seemed  not  to  be  aware  who  was  the  principal  of  these  offi- 
cers, around  whom  the  others  respectfully  ranged  themselves, 
when  one  of  them,  still  young,  seized  with  a  strong  emotion, 
exclaimed, 

" '  That  is  the  Emperor.' 

" '  How  came  you  to  know  me  ?'  asked  Napoleon. 

" '  Sire !'  she  answered,  '  I  was  with  your  Majesty  in  Egypt.' 

" '  And  what  were  you  doing  in  Egypt  ?'  inquired  the  Em- 
peror. 

" '  I  was  the  wife  of  an  officer,  who  has  since  died  in  your 
service.  I  have  solicited  a  pension  for  myself  and  my  son, 
but  I  was  a  foreigner  and  could  not  obtain  it;  and  I  am 
come  to  live  with  the  mistress  of  this  house,  who  has  en- 
trusted me  with  the  education  of  her  children.' 

"The  countenance  oT  Napoleon,  who  was  displeased  at 
being  recognized,  stern  at  first,  all  at  once  assumed  a  soft  ex- 
pression. 

"'Madame,'  said  he,  'you  shall  have  a  pension;  and  as  for 
your  son,  I  charge  myself  with  his  education.' 

"  The  same  evening  he  took  care  to  affix  his  signature  to 
both  these  resolutions,  and  said,  smiling, 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  105 

" '  I  never  yet  met  with  an  adventure  in  a  forest,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  storm.  Here  is  one,  however,  and  a  most  agree- 
able one.' " 

Another  event  occurred  at  Potsdam,  which  we  can  not  bet- 
ter describe  than  in  the  language  of  Thiers. 

"  He  arrived  in  the  evening  of  the  25th  of  October,  at 
Pofsdain.  He  immediately  went  to  visit  the  retreat  of  the 
great  captatn  who  called  himself  '  The  Philosopher  of  Sans 
Souci?  Napoleon  went  through  the  great  and  little  palace  of 
Potsdam,  desired  to  be  shown  Frederic's  works,  crowded  with 
Voltaire's  notes,  sought  to  discover  in  his  library  in  what 
books  he  was  accustomed  to  feast  his  great  mind,  and  then 
went  to  the  church  of  Potsdam  to  inspect  the  modest  tomb 
where  rests  the  founder  of  Prussia. 

"  At  Potsdam  were  kept  the  sword  of  Frederic,  his  belt,  his 
order  of  the  Black  Eagle.  Napoleon  seized  them,  exclaim- 
ing, 

"'What  a  capital  present  for  the  invalids,  especially  for 
those  who  have  formed  part  of  the  army  of  Hanover  !  They 
will  be  delighted,  no  doubt,  when  they  see  in  our  possession 
the  sword  of  him  who  beat  them  at  Rosbach.' 

"  Napoleon,  in  seizing  these  precious  relics,  with  so  much 
respect,  most  assuredly  offered  no  affront  either  to  Frederic  or 
the  Prussian  nation." 


Marshal  Bernadotte  left  Marshal  Davoust  to  bear  the  whole 
brunt  of  the  terrible  battle  of  Auerstadt.  Whence  could 
such  conduct  proceed  ?  "  It  proceeded,'-'  says  Thiers,  "  from 
that  detestable  sentiment,  which  often  causes  the  blood  of 
men,  the  welfare  of  the  state  to  be  sacrificed  to  envy,  to  ha- 
tred, to  revenge.  Marshal  Bernadotte  felt  a  deep  aversion, 
conceived  on  the  most  frivolous  motives,  for  Marshal  Davoust." 
M.  Bernadotte  wrote  to  the  Emperor  attempting  to  justify  his 
course.  In  the  following  courteous,  yet  decisive  terms,  Napo- 
leon expressed  his  displeasure. 
5* 


106  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS, 


LETTER  II. 

TO   THE    PRINCE    OF   PONTE    CORVO. 

"WiTTEMBERG,  October  23,  1806. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  re- 
criminating upon  the  past,  since  it  is  without  remedy.  Your 
corps  of  the  army  was  not  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  that 
might  have  been  extremely  disastrous  for  me.  Still,  agreea- 
bly to  a  very  precise  order,  you  ought  to  have  been  at  Dorn- 
burg,  which  is  one  of  the  principle  debouches  of  the  Saale,  on 
the  same  day  that  Marshal  Lannes  was  at  Jena,  Marshal  Au- 
gereau  at  Kala,  and  Marshal  Davoust  at  Naumburg.  In  de- 
fault of  having  executed  these  dispositions  I  had  let  you  know 
in  the  night  that  if  you  were  still  at  Naumburg  you  were  to 
march  toward  Marshal  Davoust,  for  the  purpose  of  support- 
ing him.  When  this  order  arrived  you  were  at  Naumberg ; 
and  yet  you  preferred  making  a  false  march,  and  returning  to 
Dornburg,  and  in  consequence  you  were  not  at  the  battle,  and 
Marshal  Davoust  had  principally  to  bear  the  brunt  of  the 
enemy's  efforts.  All  this  is  certainly  very  unfortunate,  etc. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  ni. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS   AT    MAYENCE. 

November  1,  1806;  2  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Talleyrand  has  arrived,  and  he  informs  me,  my  love,  that 
you  do  nothing  but  weep.  What  do  you  wish  for  then  ? 
You  b'ave  your  daughter,  your  grandchildren,  and  good  news. 
These  are  surely  enough  to  make  one  contented  and  happy. 

The  weather  here  is  superb.  There  has  not  yet  fallen,  dur- 
ing the  whole  campaign,  a  single  drop  of  water.  I  am  very 
well  and  every  thing  is  prosperous. 

Adieu,  my  love,  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Monsieur  Na- 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.         107 

poleon ;  I  do  not  think  that  it  can  be  from  him,  but  from 
Hortense.     My  kindest  remembrance  to  all  your  household. 

NAPOLEON. 

The  above  letter  was  written  from  Berlin.  Napoleon  en- 
tered the  capital  on  the  28th,  with  much  pomp.  "  It  was  the 
first  time,"  says  Thiers,  "  that  he  had  ever  made  a  triumphant 
entry  like  Alexander  or  Caesar,  into  a  conquered  capital.  He 
had  not  entered  Vienna  in  that  manner.  Indeed  he  had 
scarcely  visited  the  Austrian  capital  at  all,  living  constantly 
at  Schoenbrun  out  of  sight  of  its  inhabitants.  But  on  this 
day,  whether  from  pride  at  having  demolished  an  army  re- 
puted to  be  invincible,  or  from  a  desire  to  awe  Europe  by  a 
striking  spectacle,  or  perhaps  from  the  intoxication  of  victory, 
mounting  higher  than  usual  into  his  head,  he  chose  the  morn- 
ing of  the  28th  for  his  triumphant  entry  into  Berlin." 

It  was  a  magnificent  day.  The  whole  population  of  the 
city  and  its  environs,  were  present  to  witness  the  imposing 
spectacle.  The  Imperial  Guard  surrounded  him  in  the  richest 
uniform ;  in  front  the  dense  masses  of  the  infantry,  in  the 
rear  the  superbly  mounted  cavalry.  "  In  the  middle,  Marshals 
Berthier,  Duroc,  Davoust,  Auger eau,  and  in  the  center  of  this 
group,  left  by  himself  out  of  respect,  Napoleon  in  the  simple 
dress  which  he  wore  in  the  Tuileries  and  on  the  fields  of 
battle.  Napoleon,  the  object  of  all  eyes  in  that  immense  con- 
course was  silent,  impressed  at  once  with  sorrow  and  admi- 
ration. 

"Napoleon  received  the  keys  of  Berlin  from  the  magis- 
trates, then  proceeded  to  the  palace,  where  he  gave  audience 
to  all  the  public  authorities,  used  mild,  cheering  language, 
promised  order  on  the  part  of  the  soldiers,  on  condition  of 
order  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants,  showed  no  severity  in 
his  expressions,  save  toward  the  German  aristocracy,  which 
was,  he  said,  the  sole  author  of  all  the  calamities  of  Ger- 
many." 

We  know  not  how  to  reconcile  the  remark  not  a  drop  of 


108  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

water,  with  the  statement  that  Napoleon  took  shelter  from  a 
Storm  in  a  house  in  the  forest.  The  storm  might  have  been 
a  local  and  momentary  tempest,  which  was  not  at  all  felt  by 
the  widely  extended  army. 


The  following  extracts  from  letters  from  Marshal  Lannes 
will  show  the  spirit  of  the  French  troops  at  this  time,  and  the 
feelings  they  cherished  toward  the  Emperor. 

LETTER  IV. 

MARSHAL  LANNES  "TO  THE  EMPEROR. 

Sire — I  have  received  the  letter  which  your  Majesty  has 
done  me  the  honor  to  write  me.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to 
express  the  pleasure  which  it  has  given  me.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  world  that  I  desire  so  much  as  to  be  sure  that  your 
Majesty  knows  that  I  do  all  that  lies  in  my  power  for  your 
glory. 

I  have  communicated  to  your  corps  cFarmee  what  your  Maj- 
esty has  been  pleased  to  say  to  me  for  it.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible for  me  to  describe  to  your  Majesty  the  gratification  which 
it  has  afforded  them.  A  single  word  from  you  is  sufficient  to 
make  the  soldiers  happy. 

Three  hussars,  having  lost  their  way  toward  Gartz,  found 
themselves  in  the  midst  of  an  enemy's  squadron.  They  ran 
up  to  it  leveling  their  pieces,  saying  that  it  was  surrounded 
by  a  regiment  and  must  dismount  immediately.  The  com- 
mander of  this  squadron  commanded  it  to  dismount,  and  it 
surrendered  its  arms  to  those  three  hussars  who  brought  the 
men  thither  prisoners  of  war. 

I  have  just  been  assured  that  the  king  has  show^  great  dis- 
pleasure with  those  gentlemen  about  him  who  advised  him  to 
the  war ;  that  he  was  never  before  seen  in  such  a  passion ; 
that  he  told  them  that  they  were  scoundrels,  that  they  had 
made  him  lose  his  crown,  and  that  he  had  no  hope  left  but  to 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.         109 

go  and  see  the  great  Napoleon,  and  that  he  reckoned  upon 
his  generosity. 

I  am,  with  the  most  profound  respect,  etc.  LANNES. 


LETTER  V. 

MARSHAL  LANNES  TO  THE  EMPEROR. 

PASSE  WALK,  November  1,  1806. 

Yesterday  I  had  your  Majesty's  proclamation  read  at  the 
head  of  the  troops.  The  concluding  words1  deeply  touched 
the  hearts  of  the  soldiers.  They  all  set  up  shouts  of  Vive 
PEmpereur  d1  Occident!  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  tell  your 
Majesty  how  much  you  are  loved  by  these  brave  fellows,  and, 
in  truth,  never  was  lover  so  fond  of  his  mistress  as  they  are 
of  your  person.  I  beg  your  M;ijesfy  to  let  me  know  if  you 
will  be  pleased  to  have  my  dispatches  addressed  in  future  to 
"  The  Emperor  of  the  West,"  and  I  make  the  inquiry  in  the 
name  of  my  corps  cTarmee.  I  am,  with  the  most  profound 
respect,  etc.*  LANNES. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

BERLIN,  November  2,  1806. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  26th  of  October.  We 
have  here  superb  weather.  You  will  see  by  the  bulletin  that 
we  have  taken  Stellin.*  It  is  a  very  strong  place.  All  my 

1  The  concluding  words  were  these,  "  Soldiers !  I  love  you  with  the 
same  intensity  of  affection  which  you  have  ever  manifested  toward 
me." 

2  It  is  evident  that  the  inquiry  which  Marshal  Lannes  made  was 
answered  in  the  negative,  since  this  title  which  "gushed  from  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  soldiers,"  was  not  assumed. 

3  A  very  important  and  strongly  fortified  city  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Oder.     Thiers  thus  describes  its  capture  : 

"  Lasalle,  with  the  hussars  and  chasseurs,  hastened  to  Stelh'n,  fol- 


110  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

affairs  proceed  a&  well  as  possible,  and  I  am  very  well  satisfied. 
There  is  nothing  wanting  to  me  but  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you ;  but  I  hope  that  will  not  long  be  delayed.  My  love  to 
Hortense,  to  Stephanie,  and  to  the  little  Napoleon. 

Adieu,  my  love.     Entirely  thine,  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

November  6,  1806;  9  o'clock,  A.  M. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  in  which  it  seems  you  reproach 
me  for  speaking  ill  of  women.1  True  it  is,  that  above  all  things, 

lowed  by  the  infantry  of  Lannes.  "Wonderful  to  relate,  an  officer  of 
light  cavalry  dared  to  summon  Stellin,  a  fortress  having  a  numerous 
garrison,  and  an  immense  artillery.  General  Lasalle  had  an  interview 
with  the  governor,  and  expatiated  with  such  conviction,  on  the  com- 
plete annihilation  of  the  Prussian  army,  that  the  governor  surrendered 
the  place  with  all  that  it  contained,  and  a  garrison  of  six  thousand 
men,  prisoners  of  war." 

1  Napoleon,  in  one  of  his  bulletins,  spoke  in  terms  of  great  severity 
of  queens  who  meddle  in  affairs  of  state,  and  expose  their  husbands 
and  their  country  to  frightful  disasters.  This  allusion  to  the  Queen  of 
Prussia,  now  overwhelmed  by  the  war  which  she  had  provoked,  was 
by  many  severely  censured.  But  Napoleon  deemed  it  a  crime  of  no 
ordinary  magnitude  to  kindle  throughout  Europe  the  horrid  flames  of 
war. 

Adopting  the  right  ever  exercised  on  such  occasions,  of  intercepting 
correspondence  to  ascertain  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  he  seized  a 
letter  from  the  Prince  of  Hatzfeld,  informing  the  Prussian  general, 
Hohenlohe,  of  the  position  of  the  French  army  around  Berlin.  Prince 
Hatzfeld  was,  by  the  permission  of  Napoleon,  at  the  head  of  the  mu- 
nicipal government  of  Berlin,  and  had  promised,  upon  oath,  not  to  at- 
tempt any  thing  against  the  French  army,  but  simply  to  attend  to  those 
police  regulations  which  would  promote  the  peace  of  the  capital. 

Napoleon,  apprehensive  that  all  his  movements  might  thus  be  re- 
vealed to  the  enemy,  resolved  to  prevent  the  repetition  of  the  crime  by 
an  act  of  signal  severity.  He  ordered  Marshal  Davoust  to  form  a  mili- 
tary commission,  and  to  bring  the  prince  to  trial,  as  a  spy.  His  guilt 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        Ill 

I  dislike  female  intrigues.  I  have  been  accustomed  to  kind, 
gentle,  conciliatory  women.  Such  I  love,  and  if  they  have 
spoiled  me  it  is  not  my  fault,  but  yours.  However,  you  will 
see  that  I  have  acted  indulgently  toward  one  sensible  and  de- 
serving woman.  I  allude  to  Madame  Hatzfeld.  When  I 
showed  her  her  husband's  letter  she  burst  into  tears,  and  in  a 
tone  of  the  most  exquisite  grief  and  candor  exclaimed,  "  It  is 
indeed  his  writing."  This  was  too  much.  It  went  to  my 
heart.  I  said,  "  Well,  madam,  throw  the  letter  into  the  fire, 
and  then  I  shall  have  no  proof  against  your  husband."  She 
burned  the  letter,  and  was  restored  to  happiness.  Her  hus- 
band is  now  safe.  Two  hours  later,  and  he  would  have  been 
lost.  You  see,  therefore,  that  I  like  women  who  are  feminine, 
unaffected,  and  amiable,  for  they  alone  resemble  you.  Adieu, 
my  love.  I  am  very  well.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VHI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

November  9,  1806. 

My  love,  I  announce  to  you  good  news.  Magdebourg1  has 
was  clear.  Death  was  the  penalty.  The  commission  was  already 
assembled,  and  were  applying  for  the  proof  of  the  guilt  of  the  accused, 
which  was  in  the  possession  of  Napoleon,  when  the  Princess  of  Hatz- 
feld was  informed  of  the  terrible  peril  of  her  husband.  Though  far 
advanced  in  pregnancy,  she  hastened  to  the  palace.  Napoleon  had 
just  returned  from  a  ride,  and  as  he  entered  the  door  of  the  palace,  the 
princess,  conducted  by  Duroc,  presented  herself  in  tears  before  him. 
The  Emperor  could  not  refuse  her  an  audience,  and  conducted  her  into 
his  cabinet. 

Napoleon  presented  to  her  the  intercepted  letter,  and  said,  "  Do  you 
recognize  the  handwriting  of  your  husband  ?"  The  princess,  in  despair, 
admitted  that  she  could  not  deny  that  it  was  his.  Napoleon,  quite 
overcome  by  her  ingenuousness  and  her  anguish,  immediately  addressed 
her  in  soothing  words  of  kindness  and  sympathy,  and  added, 

"Throw  the  paper  into  the  fire,  and  the  military  commission  will 
then  have  no  evidence  to  convict  upon." 

1  One  of  the  most  important,  and  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses  of 


112  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

surrendered,  and  on  the  7th  of  November  I  took,  at  Lubec,1 
twent}7  thousand  men  whom  we  have  been  pursuing  eight 
days.  Thus  behold  the  whole  army  taken.  There  now  only 
remains  to  Prussia,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  Vistula,  twenty 
thousand  men.  Many  of  my  troops  are  in  Berlin.  I  am  very 
well. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  affectionate  remembrance  to  Hortense,  to 
Stephanie,  and  to  the  little  Napoleon.     Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

November  16,  1806. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  llth  of  November.  I 
see  with  satisfaction  that  my  sentiments  afford  you  pleasure.5 
You  are  wrong  to  think  that  they  can  be  flattery.  I  have 
spoken  to  you  of  you  as  I  see  you.  I  am  grieved  to  think 
that  you  are  weary  of  Mayence.  If  the  journey  were  not 
so  long,  you  might  come  to  where  I  now  am,  for  there  is 

Europe,  containing  about  thirty-six  thousand  inhabitants.  It  at  this 
time  was  held  by  a  garrison  of  twenty-two  thousand  men.  Marshal 
Ney  invested  it,  and  threw  a  few  bombs  into  the  air,  as  a  threat  of 
bombardment.  The  terrified  inhabitants  surrounded  the  governor's 
residence,  imploring  him  to  save  their  beautiful  city  from  the  horrors 
of  bombardment,  and  from  all  the  awful  woes  of  being  taken  by  storm. 
General  Klcist,  conscious  that  resistance  would  only  lead  to  the  useless 
effusion  of  blood,  surrendered,  with  twenty-two  thousand  prisoners. 

1  One  of  the  free  cities  of  the  Germanic  Confederacy.     It  was  neutral 
in  this  war,  and  claimed  the  rights  of  a  neutral.     But  Blucher,  "Prus- 
sia's debauched  dragoon."  in  defiance  of  the  protest  of  the  magistrates, 
by  main  force  threw  himself  into  the  city,  and  seized  all  its  resources. 
The  French,  who  were  in  pursuit  of  him,  soon  attacked  him.     A  terri- 
ble scene  of  carnage  ensued  in  the  streets  of  the  opulent  city.    Blucher, 
entirely  discomfited,  was  compelled  to  surrender,  and  twenty  thousand 
prisoners  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French. 

2  Napoleon  here  refers  to  the  remarks  he  made  respecting  Josephine, 
in  his  letter  of  November  6. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        113 

•no  longer  any  enemy  nearer  than  the  other  side  of  the  Vistu- 
la, that  is  to  say,  at  a  distance  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  from  here.  I  will  wait  to  hear  what  you  think  of  it.  I 
shall  be  very  glad,  also,  to  see  Monsieur  Napoleon. 

Adieu,  my  love^.     Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

I  have  so  many  things  to  attend  to  here,  that  I  can  not,  at 
present,  return  to  Paris. 


LETTER  X. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

November  2,  1806;  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  am  in  the  receipt  of  your  letter.  I  am  sony  to  perceive 
that  you  are  so  sad  ;  you  nevertheless  have  only  reason  to  be 
happy.  You  are  wrong  to  show  so  much  kindness  to  people 
who  have  proved  that  they  are  unworthy  of  it.  Madame  L.  is 
a  silly  woman,  so  stupid  that  you  ought  to  understand  her, 
and  not  pay  her  any  attention.  Be  cheerful,  happy  in  my 
love,  in  all  that  affection  with  which  you  inspire  me.  I  shall 
decide  in  a  few  days  to  call  you  here,  or  have  you  return  to 
Paris. 

Adieu,  my  love;  you  can  easily  go,  if  you  wish,  to  Darm- 
stadt, to  Frankfort,  that  will  divert  you.  Much  love  to  Hor- 
tense.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XT. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

November  26,  1806. 

I  am  at  Custrin1  on  a  tour  of  observation.  I  shall  see  in 
two  days  if  you  can  come  here.  You  must  hold  yourself 

1  A  very  important  fortress  on  the  Oder,  which  was  about  sixty 
miles  beyond  Berlin.  This  fortress  had  just  capitulated,  surrendering 
to  the  French  vast  magazines  of  war  and  four  thousand  prisoners.  Of 
the  army  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  men,  who,  in  boundless  ex- 


114  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

ready.  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  the  Queen  of  Holland1  can  ac-- 
compauy  you  on  the  journey.  It  is  necessary  that  the  Grand 
Duchess  of  Baden2  should  write  to  her  husband  about  it.  It 
is  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  have  just  risen.  This  is  the  . 
usage  of  war.  My  best  love  to  yourself  and  to  all  your  house- 
hold. NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XTI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

MESCRirz,3 27,  1806 ;  two  hours  after  midnight. 

I  am  about  to  take  a  tour  into  Poland.  I  am  here  in  a 
frontier  city.  I  shall  be,  to-night,  at  Posen,4  after  which  I 

ultation  one  month  before,  were  threatening  the  invasion  of  France, 
now  hardly  a  fraction  remained.  With  the  exception  of  one  fugitive 
band  of  twenty  thousand  men,  who  had  escaped  beyond  the  Vis- 
tula to  join  the  Russians,  all  wece  killed  or  taken  prisoners.  Thua 
in  one  month  Napoleon  had  absolutely  annihilated  an  army  of  two 
hundred  thousand  men,  taken  all  their  standards,  guns,  and  vast  mu- 
nitions of  war,  captured  every  fortress  of  Prussia,  and  was  now  undis- 
puted master  of  the  whole  kingdom.  Such  a  feat  is  indeed  sufficient 
to  cause  the  world  to  marvel.  All  this  Napoleon  did  with  an  army  of 
but  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  men. 

1  Hortense.     Her  husband,  Louis  Bonaparte,  was  now  King  of  Hol- 
land. 

2  The  Grand  Duchess  of  Baden  was  Stephanie,  niece  of  Josephine. 

3  A  city  about  sixty  miles  beyond  Custrin,  and  just  within  the  bor- 
ders of  that  portion  of  Poland  which  Prussia  had  grasped  in  the 
iniquitous  partition  of  that  kingdom. 

*  A  city,  of  twenty-four  thousand  inhabitants,  was  on  the  Wartha, 
about  eighty  miles  east  of  Mescritz. 

Josephine,  at  Mayence,  was  nearly  four  hundred  miles  from  Napo- 
leon, at  Berlin.  It  was  very  evident  that  the  war  was  still  to  be  con- 
tinued. The  Russian  army  of  two  hundred  thousand  men  was  con- 
centrating. The  Queen  of  Prussia,  irritated  by  a  defeat  so  awful, 
urged  her  husband  not  to  listen  to  terms  of  peace,  but,  with  the  aid 
of  Russia,  to  make  another  appeal  to  arms.  The  King  and  Queen  of 
Prussia  had  both  joined  the  Russian  camp  and  were  rallying  around 
them  all  the  fugitives  they  could  collect.  Napoleon  was  consequently 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        115 

shall  call  you  to  Berlin,  that  you  may  arrive  there  on  the 
same  day  with  me.  My  health  is  good,  the  weather  a  little 
bad.  It  has  rained  for  three  days.  My  affairs  are  prosperous. 
The  Russians  fly. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  my  affectionate  remembrance  to  Hortense, 
Stephanie,  and  to  the  little  Napoleon.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XEI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE. 

POSEN,  November  29th,  1806 ;  noon. 

I  am  at  Posen,  capital  of  Grand  Poland.  The  cold  com- 
mences. I  am  very  well.  I  am  about  to  make  a  circuit  in 
Poland.  My  troops  are  at  the  gates  of  Warsaw. 

Adieu,  my  love.  My  kindest  remembrance.  I  embrace 
you  with  my  whole  heart.  NAPOLEON. 

The  Poles,  hating  their  Prussian  conquerors,  received  the 
French  as  deliverers.  On  the  road,  and  in  the  villages,  the 
peasants  ran  to  offer  them  food  and  liquors  of  their  country. 
The  cordiality  of  the  Poles  supplied  every  deficiency.  People 
quarreled  for  the  privilege  of  lodging  and  boarding  the 
French.  Marshal  Davoust  had  left  Posen  on  the  16th  of 
November  with  three  divisions  of  the  army  for  Warsaw,  two 
hundred  miles  beyond  Posen.  Lannes  and  Murat  were  also 

putting  his  armies  again  in  motion  to  "conquer  a  peace,"  if  possible, 
upon  the  distant  shores  of  the  Vistula,  nearly  four  hundred  miles  be- 
yond Berlin.  The  English  were  aiding  the  Russians  and  Prussians 
with  their  fleet.  Louis  Napoleon  was  very  fearful  that  the  English 
would  land  in  Holland  after  Napoleon  had  advanced,  with  his  troops 
into  the  \vikls  of  Poland,  and  thus  cut  off  his  retreat.  To  these  re- 
monstrances Napoleon  wrote  to  his  brother, 

"  The  English  have  something  else  to  do  than  to  land  in  France, 
Holland,  or  Pomerania.  They  had  rather  pillage  the  colonies  of  all 
nations  than  attempt  landings.  The  only  advantage  they  reap  from 
them  is  to  be  flung  back  disgracefully  into  the  sea." 


116  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

on  the  march  with  other  bodies  of  troops  by  other  routes. 
Napoleon  was  resolved,  if  possible,  to  restore  Poland  to  inde- 
pendence. "  But,"  says  Thiers,  "  he  did  not  disguise  from 
himself  the  immense  difficulty  of  reconstituting  a  destroyed 
state,  especially  with  a  people  whose  anarchical  spirit  was  as 
famous  as  its  valor." 


LETTER   XIV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

POSEN,  December  2,  1806. 

To-day  is  the  anniversary  of  Austerlitz.  I  have  been  to  a 
ball  given  by  the  city.  It  rains.  I  am  well.  I  love  you,  and 
long  for  you.  My  troops  are  at  Warsaw.  It  is  not  yet  cold. 
All  the  Polish  ladies  are  French,  but  there  is  only  one  woman 
for  me.  Would  you  know  her?  I  would  draw  you  her  por- 
trait ;  but  it  would  be  necessary  to  flatter  it  too  much,  that 
you  might  recognize  yourself  in  it.  Nevertheless,  to  speak 
the  truth,  my  heart  has  only  the  most  affectionate  things  to 
say  of  her.  These  nights  here  are  long,  all  alone.  Thine 
entirely.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MAYENCE. 

Decembers,  1806;  noon. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  26th  of  November.  I 
see  in  it  two  things ;  you  tell  me  that  I  do  not  read  your  let- 
ters;  that  is  wrong.  I  take  it  unkindly  of  you  that  you 
should  form  so  unkind  an  opinion.  You  tell  me  that  this  is 
through  some  dream  of  the  night,  and  you  add  that  you  are 
not  jealous.  I  have  for  a  long  time  observed  that  angry  peo- 
ple ever  maintain  that  they  are  not  angry,  and  that  those  who 
are  frightened  frequently  say  that  they  have  no  fear ;  you  are 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         117 

then  convicted  of  jealousy ;  I  am  delighted.  You  are,  how- 
ever, wrong.  I  thiuk  of  any  thing  rather  than  that ;  in  the 
deserts  of  Poland  one  dreams  little  of  the  belles.  I  gave  a 
ball  yesterday  to  the  nobility  of  the  province.  There  were 
enough  beautiful  ladies,  enough  wealthy,  enough  badly 
dressed,  although  in  Parisian  fashion. 

Adieu,  my  love.     I  am  very  well.     Thine  entirely. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

POSEN,  December  3 ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  27th  of  November,  in 
which  I  perceive  that  your  little  head  is  turned.     (To,  petite 
tete  *'  est  montee.)     I  recall  to  mind  the  verse, 

"  Woman's  longing  is  a  consuming  flame." 

It  is,  nevertheless,  necessary  that  you  should  calm  yourself. 
I  have  written  to  you  that  I  am  in  Poland,  and  that,  as  soon 
as  winter  quarters  are  established  you  can  come  here.  It  is 
necessary  then,  to  wait  some  days.  The  more  one  attains  to 
greatness  the  less  can  he  have  his  own  way.  Such  an  one  is 
dependent  upon  events  and  circumstances.  You  can  go  to 
Frankfort  and  Darmstadt.1  I  hope  in  a  few  days  to  call  you 
here.  But  circumstances  must  control.  The  ardor  of  your 
letter  shows  me  that  all  you  beautiful  women  recognize  no 
obstacles.  What  you  wish,  must  be.  But  as  for  myself  I 

1  Frankfort  and  Darmstadt  were  two  very  attractive  German  cities 
about  thirty  miles  from  Mayence.  Napoleon  thought  that  Josephine, 
in  a  visit  to  those  cities,  might  find  change  and  recreation. 

While  Napoleon  was  at  Posen  he  was  guiding  his  armies,  by  differ- 
ent routes,  toward  the  Vistula.  As  they  pressed  forward  resistJessly, 
eighty  thousand  strong,  the  advance  bands  of  the  Russian  army  turned 
and  fled  before  them. 


118  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

declare  that  I  am  the  veriest  slave  among  men.    My  master 
has  no  compassion,  and  that  master  is  the  nature  of  things. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Take  care  of  yourself.  The  person  of 
whom  I  have  wished  to  speak  of  you  is  Madame  L.  of  whom 
every  body  speaks  badly.  They  assure  me  that  she  was  more 
Prussian  than  a  French  woman.  I  do  not  believe  it.  But  I 
thiuk  her  a  silly  woman  who  says  only  stupid  things. 

NAPOLEON. 


^  LETTER  XVII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

December  9th,  1806. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  1st  of  December.  I  see 
with  pleasure  that  you  are  more  happy ;  that  the  Queen  of 
Holland  wishes  to  come  here  with  you.  I  long  to  give  the 
order  for  you  to  come.  But  it  is  still  necessary  to  wait  sev- 
eral days.  My  affairs,  are  prosperous.  Adieu,  my  love;  I 
love  you,  and  I  wish  to  see  you  happy.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVIU. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

December  10,  1806  ;  5  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

An  officer  has  brought  me  a  carpet  from  you.  It  is  a  lit- 
tle short  and  narrow  ;  I  thank  you  none  the  less  for  it.  I  am 
very  well.  The  weather  is  quite  variable.  My  affairs  are 
sufficiently  prosperous.  I  love  you  and  long  for  you  very 
much.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  shall  write  for  you  to  come  with, 
at  least,  as  much  pleasure  as  you  will  have  in  coming.  Thine 
entirely.  NAPOLEON. 

A  kiss  to  Hortense,  to  Stephanie,  and  to  Napoleon. 

During  these  few  days  which  Napoleon  spent  in  Posen  he 
was  intensely  occupied  in  creating  one  of  those  immense  mil- 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         119 

itary  establishments  which  he  was  accustomed  to  establish 
upon  his  route  for  the  abundant  supply  of  his  army,  and  as  a 
refuge  in  case  of  reverse.  He  was  also  daily  receiving  dele- 
gations from  the  Poles,  who  were  exceedingly  anxious  that  he 
should  aid  them  in  the  re-establishment  of  their  kingdom. 

With  much  candor,  Thiers  records  "  Napoleon  sincerely  de- 
signed, as  we  have  already  said,  to  restore  Poland.  It  was, 
according  to  his  ideas,  one  of  the  most  useful  and  most  ap- 
proved ways  of  renewing  that  part  of  Europe,  the  face  of 
which  he  purposed  to  change.  When,  in  fact,  he  created 
new  kingdoms,  to  form  supports  for  his  young  empire,  noth- 
ing was  more  natural  than  to  raise  again  the  most  brilliant 
and  the  most  to  be  regretted  of  the  destroyed  kingdoms. 
But  besides  the  difficulty  of  wringing  great  sacrifices  of  ter- 
ritory from  Eussia  and  Prussia,  sacrifices  which  it  was  not 
possible  to  wring  from  them  without  fighting  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity, there  was  another  difficulty,  that  of  taking  the  Gal- 
licias  from  Austria.  And  if  these  provinces  were  to  be  left 
out,  if  he  were  to  content  himself  with  recompensing  new 
Poland  with  two  thirds  of  the  old,  he  should  run  the  very 
serious  risk  of  exciting,  in  the  cabinet  of  Vienna,  a  redoubled 
distrust,  hatred,  ill-will,  and  perhaps  of  bringing  an  Austrian 
army  upon  the  rear  of  the  French  army." 


LETTER  XIX. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

December  12,  1806 ;  7  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  have  received  no  letters  from  you,  my  love.  I  know, 
nevertheless,  that  you  are  well.  My  health  is  good ;  the 
weather  delightful.  The  bad  season  has  not  yet  commenced. 
But  the  roads  are  bad  in  a  country  where  there  are  no  pave- 
ments. Hortense  will  come  then  with  Napoleon :  I  am  de- 
lighted. I  long  to  see  things  assume  such  an  aspect  that  I 
can  send  for  you  to  come. 


120  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  have  made  my  peace  with  Saxony.  The  elector  is  king, 
and  of  the  confederation.  Adieu,  my  dearly-beloved  Joseph- 
ine. Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  A  kiss  for  Hortense,  for  Napoleon,  and  for  Stephanie. 
Paer,1  the  famous  musician,  his  wife,  a  virtuoso,  whom  you 
saw  at  Milan  twelve  years  ago,  and  Brizzi,  are  here.  They 
give  me  a  little  music  every  evening. 


LETTER  XX. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS   AT   MAYENCE. 
POSEN,  December  15,  1806;  Scours  after  midnight. 
My  love — I  leave  immediately  for  Warsaw.     In  a  fortnight 
I  shall  be  on  my  return.     I  hope  that  then  I  shall  be  able  to 
send   for  you.     Nevertheless,  should  there  be  still  delay,  I 
should  see  you  with  pleasure  return  to  Paris,  where  you  are 
desired.     You  know  well  that  I  am  under  the  dominion  of 
circumstances.     All   my   affairs  are   very  prosperous.      My 
health  is  very  good.     I  am  perfectly  well.     Adieu,  my  love. 
I  have  made  peace  with  Saxony.     Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 

It  was  a  dreary  ride  of  two  hundred  miles  from  Posen  to 
Warsaw,  over  bleak  and  barren  plains.  The  French  army 
had  been  received  in  Warsaw  by  the  rejoicing  Poles,  with  the 
utmost  enthusiasm.  As  the  troops  defiled  through  the  streets, 
the  whole  population  seemed  to  think  that  the  day  of  their  de- 
liverance had  come,  and  shouts  of  vive  VEmpereur  filled  the  air. 


Napoleon  left  Posen  on  the  night  of  the  15th,  having  been 
there  nineteen  days.  He  arrived  at  Warsaw  at  midnight 

1  Pae'r  was  a  very  celebrated  Italian  opera-composer.  He  had  set- 
tled in  Dresden,  where  he  was  chipel-master,  and  his  wifeprima  donna. 
They  accompanied  Napoleon  after  the  battle  of  Jena,  to  Posen  and 
"Warsaw,  and  after  the  peace  of  Tilsit,  entered  his  service. 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPHINE.  121 

of  the  18th,  entering  the  city  at  that  hour  that  he  might  avoid 
noisy  demonstrations.  On  the  route  he  established  depots  of 
provisions,  and  of  medical  and  surgical  stores,  that  he  might 
be  prepared  for  any  reverse.  Napoleon  was  at  the  same  time 
the  boldest,  and  the  most  cautious  and  prudent  of  men.  His 
route  to  Warsaw  led  him  through  Kutno  and  Lowicz.  At  the 
latter  place  he  wrote  as  follows,  to  General  Clark. 

LETTER  XXI. 

NAPOLEON  TO  GENERAL  CLARK. 

Lowicz,  December  18,  1806. 

I  have  arrived  at  Lowicz.  I  write  to  you  to  relieve  you 
from  every  kind  of  uneasiness.  There  is  no  news  here.  The 
armies  are  in  presence.  The  Russians  are  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Narew,  and  we  on  the  left.  Besides  Praga,  we  have 
two  tetes  du  pont,  one  at  Modlin,  the  other  at  Narew,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ukra.  We  have  Thorn  and  an  army  sixty 
miles  in  advance,  maneuvering  upon  the  enemy.  All  this 
news  is  for  yourself.  It  is  possible  that  before  the  end  of 
eight  days  there  may  be  an  affair  that  will  put  an  end  to  the 
campaign.  Take  your  precautions  that  there  may  not  be  a 
musket  left  either  in  Berlin  or  in  the  country ;  that  Spandau 
and  Custrin  are  in  a  good  state,  and  that  every  body  does  good 
service. 

Write  to  Mayence  and  to  Paris  merely  to  say  that  you  are 
writing  that  there  is  no  news.  This  must  be  done,  in  general, 
every  day  when  I  have  no  couriers  passing ;  that  baffles  un- 
favorable reports.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT   MAYENCE. 

WARSAW,  December  20th,  1806  ;  3  o'clock  P.  M. 
I  have  received  no  news  from  you,  my  love.     I  am  very 
well.     I  have  been  at  Warsaw  for  two  days.     My  affairs  go 


122  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

on  well.  The  weather  is  very  mild,  and  even  a  little  humid. 
We  have  as  yet  had  scarcely  any  frost.  It  is  the  weather  of 
October.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  have  an  intense  desire  to  see 
you,  and  I  hope  in  five  or  six  days  to  send  for  you. 

My  love  to  the  Queen  of  Holland,  and  to  her  little  Napo- 
leon. Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

"  He  entered  the  capital  of  Poland  at  night,"  says  Thiers, 
"to  avoid  noisy  demonstrations,  for  it  did  not  suit  him  to  pay 
for  a  few  popular  acclamations  by  imprudent  engagements. 
Prince  Poniatowski,  nephew  of  the  last  king,  young,  brilliant, 
and  brave,  a  kind  of  hero  lulled  to  sleep  in  the  lap  of  voluptu- 
ousness, but  ready  to  awake  at  the  first  clash  of  arras,  was  one 
of  those  who  had  offered  themselves  to  second  the  plans  of 
Napoleon. 

"  Napoleon,  in  order  to  assist  the  new  Polish  government, 
had  exempted  it  from  all  contribution,  on  condition  of  its  fur- 
nishing provision  in  case  of  emergency.  For  the  rest,  the 
high  society  of  Warsaw  paid  him  extraordinary  homage.  All 
the  Polish  nobility  had  left  their  country-seats,  impatient  to  see 
him — to  meet  the  great  man,  as  well  as  the  deliverer  of  Poland. 

"Having  arrived  in  the  night,  between  the  18th  and  19th, 
Napoleon  mounted  his  horse  in  order  to  reconnoiter  himself 
the  position  of  Marshal  Davoust  on  the  Narew.  A  thick  fog 
prevented  him.  He  made  dispositions  for  attacking  the  ene- 
my on  the  22d  or  23d  of  December.  '  It  is  high  time'  he 
wrote  to  Marshal  Davoust,  '  to  take  our  winter  quarters ;  but 
this  can  not  be  done  till  we  have  driven  back  the  Russians.' " 


LETTER  XXIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MAYENCE. 
GOLIMIN,  December  29,  1806 ;  5  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  can  write  you  but  a  word,  my  love.     I  am  in  a  wretched 
barn.     I  have  beaten  the  Russians.     I  have   taken  thirty 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          123 

pieces  of  cannon,  their  baggage,  and  have  made  six  thousand 
prisoners.  But  the  weather  is  frightful.  It  rains ;  we  have 
mud  to  the  knees. 

In  two  days  I  shall  be  at  Warsaw  from  whence  I  will  write 
to  you.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  December  a  series  of  tre- 
mendous battles  ensued.  The  Russians,  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen thousand  strong,  had  entrenched  themselves  in  all  the 
strong  holds  in  the  valley  of  the  Vistula.  The  conflict  raged 
incessantly,  and  with  the  most  desperate  courage  on  both 
sides,  for  nearly  a  week,  along  a  line  extending  nearly  one 
hundred  miles.  The  country  was  an  immense  plain  covered 
alternately  with  mud  and  dense  forests.  It  had  ever  been 
very  thinly  peopled ;  and  the  few  inhabitants  of  the  dreary 
region  had  fled  from  the  storm  of  war.  In  this  miry  desert, 
and  through  the  glooms  of  these  forests,  enveloped  in  fogs 
and  drenched  with  rain,  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  men 
were  struggling,  filling  those  solitudes  with  the  thunders  of 
the  cannonade  and  the  cries  of  the  infuriate  onset. 

Twenty  thousand  Russians  and  five  thousand  French,  fell 
in  these  conflicts.  The  Russians  abandoned  the  field  to  their 
conquerors  and  fled  toward  the  Pregel.  Napoleon  had  now 
secured  for  himself  safe  winter  quarters  on  the  Vistula.  Af- 
ter remaining  with  his  army  a  few  days  to  cheer  them  and 
give  them  rest,  on  the  1st  of  January,  180Y,  he  returned  to 
Warsaw  to  make  arrangements  for  the  comfortable  establish- 
ment of  his  army  during  the  severity  of  the  winter  which 
was  now  upon  them.  Thus  terminated  the  year  1806.  "His 
soldiers,"  says  Thiers,  "  encamped  on  the  Vistula,  his  eagles 
planted  in  Warsaw,  were  a  sight  extraordinary  enough  for  him 
to  feel  gratified,  for  Europe  to  remain  quiet,  Austria  awed  and 
affrighted,  France  confident." 


124  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 


LETTER  XXIV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

Pm/TUSK,1  December  31,  1806. 

I  have  laughed  heartily  in  receiving  your  last  letters.  You 
have  conceived  an  idea  of  the  belles  of  Poland  which  they  by 
no  means  merit.  I  have  had,  for  two  or  three  days,  the  pleas- 
ure of  hearing  Pae'r  and  two  singers,  who  have  given  me 
some  very  fine  music.  I  received  your  letter  in  a  miserable 
barn,  having  mud,  wind,  and  straw  for  my  only  couch.  I 
shall  be,  to-morrow,  at  Warsaw.  I  think  every  thing  is  fin- 
ished for  this  year.  The  army  goes  into  winter  quarters. 

I  shrug  my  shoulders  at  the  silliness  of  Madame  L.  You 
ought,  nevertheless,  to  appear  displeased,  and  to  counsel  her 
not  to  be  so  foolish.  Such  conduct  can  not  but  become  noto- 
rious and  it  excites  public  disgust. 

As  for  me  I  consider  ingratitude  the  most  ignoble  defect 
of  the  heart.  I  know  that  instead  of  consoling  you  they  only 
cause  you  pain.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  am  well.  I  do  not  think 
that  you  ought  to  go  to  Cassel  ;Q  that  would  not  be  advisable. 
You  can  go  to  Darmstadt.  NAPOLEON. 

1  Pultusk  was  an  insignificant  place  between  Gomelin  and  Warsaw. 
But  for  the  depth  of  the  mire,  which  prevented  pursuit,  the  Russian 
army  would  have  been  entirely  destroyed.     Napoleon,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Vistula  reared  log  villages  for  his  soldiers,  and  provided  for  all 
their  wants  with  the  most  amazing  minuteness  of  attention.     Thiers, 
after  speaking  in  detail  of  the  extraordinary  provision  he  made  for  his 
troops,  says, 

"  Such  were  the  infinite  pains,  taken  by  this  great  captain,  whom 
party  hatred  represented,  on  the  day  of  his  fall,  as  a  barbarous  con- 
queror, driving  men  to  the  slaughter  without  giving  himself  any  con- 
cern about  feeding  them  when  he  made  them  march,  or  about  their 
cure  when  he  had  made  cripples  of  them,  and  caring  no  more  about 
them  than  about  the  beasts  which  drew  his  cannon  and  his  baggage." 

2  A  city,  of  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants,  was  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  north  of  Mayence.     It  was  the  capital  of  the  Electorate 
Hesse-Cassel,  a  small  state  in  Germany,  but  little  more  than  half  as 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        125 

large  as  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  and  containing  six  hundred  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  The  elector,  one  of  the  most  perfidious  of  despots, 
was  dethroned  by  Napoleon,  and  Cassel  became  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  Westphalia,  which  kingdom  Napoleon  established  as  a 
barrier  for  France  against  the  despotism  of  the  nortn.  Napoleon  did 
not  think  it  decorous  that  Josephine  should  visit  the  court  of  the 
elector,  and  receive  hospitality  there  when  such  a  plan  was  in  con- 
templation. "Brunswick,  Nassau,  Cassel,"  said  Napoledn,  "are  essen- 
tially English.  They  will  never  be  our  friends."  This  was  the  cause 
of  the  creation  of  the  kingdom  of  Westphalia,  over  which  Jerome  was 
appointed  king. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

LETTERS  IN  1807,  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OP  EYLAU. 

IN  the  very  depth  of  the  winter  the  Russians  and  Prussians 
made  a  sudden  assault  upon  Napoleon  in  his  cantonments, 
hoping  to  take  him  by  surprise.  But  the  Emperor  had  been 
watching  all  their  movements.  He  vigorously  repelled  the 
attack  and  pursued  his  discomfited  assailants  nearly  two  hun- 
dred miles  to  the  plains  of  Eylau.  Here  the  Allies  made  a 
stand  and  concentrated  all  their  force.  A  pitched  battle  en- 
sued, one  of  the  most  terrible  ever  waged  by  man  against  his 
fellow  man.  The  Allies,  vanquished,  retired  with  fearful  loss 
to  the  wilds  of  Russia.  Napoleon  remained  some  days  upon 
the  field  of  battle,  and  then  returned  to  his  winter  quarters 
upon  the  Vistula.  The  letters  contained  in  the  present  chap- 
ter were  written  during  this  world-renowned  campaign.  The 
Allies,  in  the  dreadful  battle  of  Eylau,  lost  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  prisoners,  thirty  thousand  men,  also  twenty-four  pieces  of 
cannon,  and  sixteen  colors.  The  French  had  three  thousand 
killed  and  seven  thousand  wounded.  Such  is  the  estimate  of 
Thiers.  "  I  undertook,"  says  he,  "  a  careful  examination,  in 
order  to  arrive  at  precision ;  and  here  follows  the  truth,  at 
least,  as  nearly  as  it  is  possible  to  attain  it  in  such  matters." 


LETTER  I. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

"WAESAW,  January  3,  180T. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  my  love.     Your  grief  touches 
me ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  submit  to  events.     There  is  too 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.         127 

wide  a  country  to  traverse  between  Mayence  and  Warsaw.1 
It  is  necessary,  then,  that  events  should  permit  me  to  return 
to  Berlin,  that  I  may  write  to  you  to  come  there.  Neverthe- 
less the  enemy,  beaten,  has  retired  yet  further  from  us,  still  I 
have  a  great  deal  to  regulate  here.  I  am  inclined  to  the  opin- 
ion that  you  had  better  return  to  Paris,  where  your  presence 
is  needed.  Send  away  those  ladies  who  are  so  busy ;  you  will 
gain  in  being  relieved  from  the  presence  of  those  who  only 
fatigue  you. 

I  am  well.     The  weather  is  disagreeable.     I  love  you  with 
my  whole  heart.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  II. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

WARSAW,  January  7,  1807. 

My  love — I  am  deeply  afiected  by  all  that  you  say  to  me ; 
but  the  season  cold,  the  roads  wretched,  the  region  unsafe,  I 
can  not  consent  to  expose  you  to  such  perils  and  dangers. 
Return  to  Paris,  to  pass  the  winter  there.  Go  to  the  Tuiler- 
ies,  hold  levees,  and  maintain  the  same  course  of  life  to  which 
you  are  accustomed  when  I  am  there.  Perhaps  I  shall  soon 
be  able  to  rejoin  you.  But  it  is  indispensable  that  you  should 
renounce  the  idea  of  taking  a  journey  of  nine  hundred  miles 
at  this  season  of  the  year,  across  a  hostile  country,  and  upon 
the  track  of  an  army.  Believe  me  that  it  causes  me  more 
pain  than  it  can  you,  still  to  postpone  for  some  weeks  the  hap- 
piness of  seeing  you  ;  but  thus  events,  and  the  necessities  of 
business  compel.  Adieu,  my  love ;  be  cheerful,  and  exhibit 
strength  of  character.  NAPOLEON. 

1  It  was  nine  hundred  miles  from  Mayence  to  "Warsaw.  Berlin  was 
about  half  way  between  the  two  places.  As  there  was  now  no  pros- 
pect of  Napoleon's  leaving  the  army  for  the  winter,  Josephine  was 
exceedingly  anxious  to  repair  to  the  headquarters  of  her  husband, 
and  was  bitterly  disappointed  that  Napoleon  could  not  consent  to  that 
arrangement. 


128  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  IE. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS  JVT    MAYENCE. 

January  8, 1807. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  27th,  with  those 
of  M.  Napoleon,  and  of  Hortense,  which  were  subjoined.  I 
have  entreated  you  to  return  to  Paris.  The  season  is  very 
bad,  the  roads  unsafe  and  detestable.  The  distances  are  too 
great  for  me  to  permit  you  to  come  here  where  I  am  still  de- 
tained. It  would  require  at  the  least  a  month  for  you  to  get 
here.  You  would  arrive  sick.  It  would  be  necessary,  perhaps, 
immediately  to  set  out  on  your  return.  This  would  be  folly. 
Your  sojourn  at  Mayence  is  too  solitary.  Paris  demands  you. 
Go  there.  It  is  my  desire.  I  am  a  greater  sufferer  than  you. 
I  should  have  loved  to  share  the  long  nights  of  this  season 
with  you,  but  it  is  necessary  to  yield  to  circumstances. 

Adieu,  my  love.     Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

January  11,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  27th,  in  which  I  see  that 
you  are  a  little  anxious  respecting  military  events.  Every 
thing  is  finished,  as  I  have  already  written  to  you,  to  my  sat- 
isfaction. My  affairs  are  prosperous.  The  distance  is  too 
considerable  for  me  to  permit,  at  this  season,  that  you  should 
come  so  far.  I  am  very  well ;  a  little  weary,  sometimes,  of 
the  length  of  the  nights. 

I  see  here,  thus  far,  very  few  people.  Adieu,  my  love.  I 
wish  that  you  would  be  cheerful,  and  that  you  might  contrib- 
ute a  little  life  and  animation  to  the  capital.  I  earnestly  de- 
sire to  be  there.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         129 

I  hope  that  the  queen  has  gone  to  the  Hague1  "with  Mon 
sieur  Napoleon. 


LETTER  V. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

January  16,  1807. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  5th  of  January ; 
all  that  you  tell  me  of  your  sadness  grieves  me.  Why  these 
tears,  this  sadness  ?  Have  you  not,  then,  more  fortitude  ?  I  shall 
soon  see  you ;  never  doubt  my  affection,  and  if  you  wish  to  be 
still  more  dear  to  me,  show  strength  of  character  and  fortitude 
of  soul.  I  am  mortified  to  think  that  my  wife  can  mistrust 
my  destinies. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  I  love  you,  I  desire  to  see  you,  and  I  wish 
to  know  that  you  are  contented  and  happy.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE. 

WARSAW,  January  18,  1807. 

I  fear  that  you  are  greatly  disappointed  in  view  of  our  sepa- 
ration, which  must  yet  be  prolonged  some  weeks,  and  of  your 
return  to  Paris.  I  expect  of  you  more  force  of  character. 
They  tell  me  that  you  weep  continually.  Fi !  how  unbecom- 
ing that  is.  Your  letter  of  the  7th  of  January  gave  me  much 
pain.  Be  worthy  of  me,  and  assume  more  character.  Make 
a  suitable  appearance  at  Paris,  and  above  all  be  contented. 

I  am  very  well,  and  love  you  very  much — but  if  you  con- 
tinually weep  I  shall  think  you  to  be  without  courage  and 
without  character.  I  do  not  love  the  spiritless.  An  Empress 
should  have  energy.  NAPOLEON. 

1  A  very  beautiful  town  in  South  Holland,  containing  forty-four 
thousand  inhabitants,  where  the  King  of  Holland  spent  a  portion  of  his 
time. 

6* 


130  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE. 

WARSAW,  January  19,  1807. 

My  love — I  am  in  the  receipt  of  your  letter.  I  have  smiled 
at  your  fear  for  my  safety.  I  am  in  despair  at  the  tone  of 
your  letters,  and  at  what  I  hear  of  you.  I  forbid  you  to  weep, 
to  be  melancholy  and  anxious  ;  I  wish  that  you  may  be 
cheerful,  amiable,  and  happy.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VHI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   MAYENCE. 

January  23,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  15th  of  January.  It  is 
impossible  that  I  should  permit  ladies  to  undertake  such  a 
journey — wretched  roads,  roads  unsafe  and  miry.  Return  to 
Paris ;  be  there  cheerful,  contented.  Perhaps  I  shall  be  there 
soon,  also.  I  could  but  smile  at  your  remark  that  you  took  a 
husband  that  you  might  live  with  him.  I  thought,  in  my  ig- 
norance, that  the  wife  was  made  for  the  husband,  the  husband 
for  his  country,  his  family,  and  glory.  Pardon  my  ignorance : 
one  is  continually  learning  with  our  beautiful  ladies. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Think  how  much  I  suffer  in  not  being 
able  to  call  you  here.  Say  to  yourself,  "  It  is  a  proof  how 
precious  I  am  to  him."  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

January  25,  1807. 

I  see  with  pain  that  you  are  suffering.     I  hope  that  you  a 
at  Paris.     I  share  your  sorrows  and  I  do  not  complain. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPH.  131 

But  I  can  not  be  willing  to  lose  you  by  exposing  you  to 
fatigues  and  dangers,  which  are  not  suitable  to  your  rank  or 
your  sex. 

I  desire  that  you  should  never  receive  at  Paris,  T .  He 

is  a  bad  man.  You  will  pain  me  should  you  receive  him. 
Adieu,  my  love ;  love  me  and  be  courageous.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

January  26,  1807;  noon. 

My  love  I  have  received  your  letter.  I  see  with  pain  how 
you  afflict  yourself.  The  bridge  of  Mayence  neither  increases 
nor  diminishes  the  distance  which  separate  us.  I  shall  be 
sorry  and  disquieted  to  know  that  you  are  so  unhappy  and 
so  isolated  at  Mayence.  You  know  that  I  ought  not,  and  that 
I  can  not,  consult  except  for  the  success  of  my  affairs.  If  it 
were  in  my  power  to  consult  my  heart  I  should  be  with  you, 
or  you  with  me.  You  will  be  very  unjust  if  you  doubt  my 
love  and  all  my  affections.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

WARSAW,  January  28,  1807. 

Sire,  my  brother — I  could  not  receive  your  Majesty's  letter 
and  wishes  for  my  happiness,  without  strong  emotion.  Your 
fortunes  and  my  victories  have  interposed  between  us  vast 
countries.  You  are  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  I  am 
on  those  of  the  Baltic ;  but  in  the  harmony  of  our  measures 
we  tend  toward  the  same  objects.  Keep  a  watch  on  your 
coast  Do  not  suffer  it  to  be  approached  by  the  English  or 
by  their  commerce.  Their  exclusion  will  restore  the  tranquil- 
lity of  your  country.  Your  kingdoin  is  rich  and  populous ; 


132  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

•with  the  aid  of  God  it  will  be  powerful  and  happy.  Accept 
my  most  heartfelt  wishes  for  the  happiness  of  your  reign,  and 
rely,  at  all  times,  upon  my  fraternal  affection.  The  deputation 
sent  to  me  i>y  your  Majesty  has  honorably  fulfilled  its  mission. 
I  have  requested  them  to  take  back  to  your  Majesty,  the  assur- 
ance of  my  most  sincere  attachment. 

On  this  I  pray  to  God,  sir,  my  brother,  that  he  may  keep 
you  in  his  holy  and  honorable  care.  NAPOLEON. 

Joseph  was  at  this  time  King  of  Naples.  He  had  sent  a 
deputation  to  the  Emperor  with  his  congratulations  upon  the 
new  year,  and  the  above  letter  was  the  official  response  of  Na- 
poleon. 


During  the  month  of  January,  while  Napoleon  wrote  the 
preceding  letters  to  Josephine,  he  was  incessantly  employed  in 
consolidating  his  position  on  the  Vistula",  in  hastening  forward 
reinforcements  from  France  and  Italy,  and  in  gathering  stores 
of  provisions  and  munitions  of  war.  The  Russians,  at  the 
same  time,  protected  by  the  storms  of  winter,  and  concealed 
behind  the  gloomy  forests  of  the  north,  collected  an  army  of 
ninety  thousand  men,  and  suddenly  fell  upon  the  cantonments 
of  the  French  upon  the  Vistula,  hoping  to  take  them  by  sur- 
prise. Napoleon  was  prepared  for  them.  He  instantly  put 
his  army  in  motion  and  placed  himself  at  its  head  to  frustrate 
the  plans  of  his  assailants.  It  was  now  cold  and  dreary  win- 
ter. He  wrote  to  Cambaceres  and  to  Talleyrand,  that  he  had 
broken  up  his  cantonments  to  take  advantage  of  the  fine  frost 
and  fair  weather,  and  that  the  roads  were  superb,  for  they 
were  frozen  like  rock.  "  But  do  not,"  said  he,  "  say  one  word 
to  the  Empress,  lest  it  should  cause  her  useless  uneasiness.  I 
am,  however,  in  full  movement,  and  it  will  cost  the  Russians 
dear." 

A  series  of  terrific  battles  ensued.  The  Russians  were 
everywhere  driven  back.  At  last  the  concentrated  armies 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  133 

met  upon  the  plaius  of  Eylau,  two  hundred  miles  beyond 
Warsaw.  The  campaign  was  terminated  by  the  awful  battle 
of  Eylau,  one  of  the  most  terrific  and  sanguinary  conflicts 
recorded  in  history.  The  shattered  bands  of  the  Russian 
army,  mangled  and  bleeding,  retired  in  dismay  to  the  north. 
The  loss  of  the  French  was  very  severe.  Some  days  after  the 
battle  they  returned,  again  victorious,  to  their  winter  quarters 
on  the  Vistula.  During  this  extraordinary  march  in  the  dead 
of  winter,  far  off  in  the  frigid  north,  Napoleon  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing letters  to  Josephine,  who  had  now,  in  accordance  with 
his  wishes,  returnded  sadly  to  Paris. 

LETTER  XII. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

WITTEMBERG,  February  1,  1807;  noon. 

Your  letter  of  the  llth,  from  Mayence,  made  me  smile.  I 
am,  to-day,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  Warsaw. 
The  weather  is  cold  but  fine.  Adieu,  my  love ;  be  happy ; 
have  character.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

My  love,  your  letter  of  the  20th  of  January  has  given  me 
much  pain.  It  is  too  sad.  Behold  the  evil  of  not  being  a 
little  devout.  You  tell  me  that  your  happiness  makes  your 
glory ;  that  is  not  generous.  You  ought  to  say,  the  happi- 
ness of  others  is  my  glory.  That  is  not  conjugal.  You  must 
say  the  happiness  of  my  husband  is  my  glory.  That  is  not 
maternal ;  you  should  say,  the  happiness  of  my  children  is  my 
glory.  But  since  others,  your  husband,  your  children  can 
not  be  happy  without  a  little  glory,  you  should  not  say  fy !  at 
it  so  much.  Josephine,  your  heart  is  excellent  and  your  rea- 


134  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

son  feeble.  Your  perceptions  are  exquisite,  but  your  delibera- 
tions are  less  wise. 

Enough  of  fault-finding.  I  wish  that  you  should  be  cheer- 
ful, contented  with  your  lot,  and  that  you  should  obey,  not 
murmuring  and  weeping,  but  with  alacrity  of  heart,  and  with 
?ome  degree  of  satisfaction. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  I  leave  to-night  to  run  through  my  ad- 
vance posts.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   THE   HAGUE. 

PARIS,  February  3,  1807. 

I  arrived  here,  my  dear  Hortense,  in  the  evening  of  the 
31st,  as  I  had  contemplated.1  My  journey  was  pleasant,  if  I 
could  speak  of  it  as  such  when  it  removed  me  further  from 
the  Emperor.  I  have  received  five  letters  from  him  since  my 
departure.  I  have  great  need  that  you  should  write  to  me, 
particularly  at  the  present  time  when  you  are  not  near  to  con- 
sole me.  Give  me  tidings  respecting  yourself,  and  speak  to 
me  of  your  husband  and  your  children.  Although  I  receive 
more  visitors  here  than  at  Mayence,  my  heart  is  not  the  less 
alone,  and  in  writing  to  me  you  will  still  keep  me  company. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  child ;  I  love  you  and  embrace  you  ten- 
derly. JOSEPHINE. 
. 

"  At  last  the  retreating  Russians  concentrated  all  their  forces 
upon  the  plains  of  Eylau.  It  was  the  7th  of  February,  1807. 
The  night  was  dark  and  intensely  cold,  as  the  Russians,  ex- 
hausted by  the  retreating  march  of  the  day,  took  their  posi- 
tion for  a  desperate  battle  on  the  morrow.  There  was  a 

1  Josephine  and  Hortense  returned  together  from  Mayence.  The 
Queen  of  Holland  stopped  at  the  Hague,  and  Josephine  continued  on 


to  Paris. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          135 

gentle  swell  of  land,  extending  two  or  three  miles,  which 
skirted  a  vast  bleak  unsheltered  plain  over  which  the  piercing 
wintery  gale  drifted  the  deep  snow.  Leaden  clouds,  hurrying 
through  the  sky  as  if  flying  from  a  defeat  or  congregating  for 
a  conflict,  boded  a  rising  storm.  Upon  this  ridge,  the  Rus- 
sians, in  double  lines,  formed  themselves  in  battle  array.  Five 
hundred  pieces  of  cannon  were  ranged  in  batteiy  to  hurl  de- 
struction into  the  bosom  of  their  foes.  They  then  threw 
themselves  upon  the  icy  ground  for  their  frigid  bivouac.  The 
midnight  storm  wailed  its  mournful  requiem  over  the  sleeping 
host,  and  sifted  down  upon  them  the  winding  sheet  of  snow. 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  tempestuous  night,  Napoleon  with  his 
determined  battalions  came  also  upon  the  plain,  groping 
through  drifts  and  gloom.  He  placed  his  army  in  position 
for  the  terrific  battle  which  the  dawn  of  morning  would  usher 
in.  Two  hundred  pieces  of  heavy  artillery  were  advantage- 
ously posted  to  sweep  the  dense  ranks  of  the  enemy.  Upon 
the  ridge  eighty  thousand  Russians  slept.  In  the  plain  before 
them  sixty  thousand  Frenchmen  were  bivouacking  upon  the 
snow.  The  hostile  hosts  were  at  but  half  cannon  shot  from 
each  other.  Indomitable  determination  inflamed  the  souls  of 
officers  and  soldiers  in  both  armies.  It  was  an  awful  night, 
the  harbinger  of  a  still  more  awful  day. 

"  The  frozen  earth,  the  inclement  sky,  the  scudding  clouds, 
the  drifting  snow,  the  wailing,  wintery  wind,  the  lurid  watch- 
fires,  gleaming  through  the  gloom,  the  spectral  movement  of 
legions  of  horsemen  and  footmen,  taking  their  positions  for 
the  sanguinary  strife,  the  confused  murmurs  of  the  voices  and 
of  the  movements  of  the  mighty  armies,  blending  like  the  roar 
of  many  waters  with  the  midnight  storm,  presented  a  spectacle 
of  sublimity  which  overawed  every  beholder.  The  sentinels 
of  each  army  could  almost  touch  each  other  with  their  mus- 
kets. Cold,  hungry,  and  weary,  the  spirit  of  humanity  for  a 
moment  triumphed  over  the  ferocity  of  war.  Kind  words  of 
greeting  and  of  sympathy  were  interchanged  by  those  who, 
soon,  in  frenzy,  were  plunging  bayonets  into  each  other's 


136  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

bosoms.  At  midnight  Napoleon  slept  for  an  hour  in  a  chair. 
He  then  mounted  his  horse,  and  marshaled  his  shivering 
troops  for  the  horrors  of  battle. 

"  The  dark  and  stormy  morning  had  not  yet  dawned  when 
the  cannonade  commenced.  It  was  terrific.  The  very  earth 
shook  beneath  the  tremendous  detonation.  Seven  hundred 
heavy  cannon,  worked  by  the  most  skillful  gunners,  created 
an  unintennitted  roar  of  the  most  deafening  and  appalling 
thunder.  Both  armies  presented  their  unprotected  breasts  to 
bullets,  grape-shot,  balls,  and  shells.  Companies,  battalions, 
regiments,  even  whole  divisions,  melted  away  before  the  mer- 
ciless discharges.  The  storm  of  snow,  in  blinding,  smother- 
ing flakes,  swept  angrily  into  the  faces  of  the  assailants  and 
the  assailed,  as  the  bands  of  battle,  in  exultant  victory  or  in 
terrific  defeat,  rushed  to  and  fro  over  the  plain.  The  tempest- 
uous air  was  soon  so  filled  with  smoke  that  the  day  was  as 
dark  as  the  night.  Under  this  black  and  sulphurous  canopy 
the  infuriate  hosts  rushed  upon  each  other.  Even  the  flash 
of  the  guns  could  not  be  seen  through  the  impenetrable  gloom. 
Horsemen  plunged  to  the  charge,  unable  to  discern  the  foe. 
Thus  the  conflict  continued,  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
men  firing  into  each  other's  bosoms  through  the  morning,  and 
the  noon,  and  the  afternoon,  and  after  the  sun  had  gone  down 
in  the  gloom  of  a  winter's  night.  Napoleon  galloped  up  and 
down  the  field  of  blood,  regardless  of  danger,  ever  presenting 
himself  at  those  points  which  were  most  threatened. 

"  It  was  now  ten  o'clock  at  night.  Nearly  one  half  of  the 
Russian  army  was  destroyed.  A  fresh  division  of  the  French 
now  appeared  upon  the  field.  They  had  been  marching  all 
day,  with  the  utmost  haste,  guided  by  the  cannon's  roar.  The 
Russians  could  endure  the  conflict  no  longer.  Proud  of  hav- 
ing so  long  and  so  valiantly  withstood  the  great  Napoleon, 
they  retreated  shouting  victory.  Napoleon  remained  master 
of  the  blood-bought  field.  The  victors,  utterly  exhausted, 
bleeding  and  freezing,  again  sought  such  repose  as  could  be 
found  upon  the  gory  ice  beneath  that  wintery  sky.  Napoleon 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  137 

was  overwhelmed  with  grief.     Never  before  had  such  a  scene 
of  misery  met  even  his  eye." 

Upon  this  dreadful  field  of  woe,  of  blood,  of  death — oppressed 
with  myriad  cares,  and  in  the  gloom  of  the  inclement  night, 
Napoleon  remembered  his  faithful  and  anxious  Josephine. 
She  was  then  in  Paris.  Seizing  a  pen,  he  hurriedly  wrote  the 
following  lines.  Calling  a  courier  to  his  side  he  dispatched 
him  at  his  fleetest  speed  to  convey  the  note  to  Josephine. 

LETTER   XV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 
EYLAU,  February  9,  1807  ;  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
My  love — there  was  a  great  battle  yesterday.     Victory  re- 
mains with  me,  but  I  have  lost  many  men.     The  loss  of  the 
enemy,  still  more  considerable,  does  not  console  me.     I  write 
these  few  lines  myself,  though  greatly  fatigued,  to  tell  you  that 
I  am  well,  and  that  I  love  you.  Wholly  thine.     NAPOLEON. 


In  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  Emperor  wrote  again  to 
Josephine,  from  the  field  of  battle. 

LETTER  XVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 
EYLAU,  February  9,  1807  ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  write  one  word,  my  love,  that  you  may  not  be  too  anx- 
ious.    The  enemy  has  lost  the  battle,  forty  pieces  of  cannon, 
ten  flags,  and  twelve  thousand  prisoners.     He  has  suffered  hor- 
ribly.    I  have  lost  many  men — sixteen  hundred  killed,  and 
three  or  four  thousand  wounded.     Corbineau  was  killed  by  a 
shell.1    I  was  strongly  attached  to  that  officer,  who  had  great 

1  General  Corbineau  was  receiving  an  order  from  the  Emperor,  when 
he  was  struck  by  a  shell,  and,  in  the  words  of  Napoleon,  was  "carried 
away,  crushed,  annihilated  before  the  Emperor's  face." 

* 


138  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

merit.  It  gives  me  great  pain.  My  horse-guard  has  covered 
itself  with  glory.  Allemagne  is  wounded  dangerously.  Adieu, 
my  love.  Wholly  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 

"  A  great  deal,"  writes  Thiers,  "  has  been  said  about  the  ly- 
ing bulletins  of  the  Empire,  still  they  were  more  true  than 
any  of  the  European  publications  of  that  period." 

"  Never,"  says  Alison,  "  was  spectacle  so  dreadful  as  the  field 
of  battle  presented  on  the  following  morning.  Above  fifty 
thousand  men  lay  in  the  space  of  two  leagues,  weltering  in  blood. 
The  wounds  were,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  severest  kind,  from 
the  extraordinary  quantity  of  cannon-balls  which  had  been  dis- 
charged during  the  action,  and  the  close  proximity  of  the  con- 
tending masses  to  the  deadly  batteries,  which  spread  grape  at 
half  musket-shot  through  their  ranks.  Though  stretched  on 
the  cold  snow,  and  exposed  to  the  severity  of  an  Arctic  win- 
ter, they  were  burning  with  thirst,  and  piteous  cries  were  heard 
on  all  sides  for  water,  or  assistance  to  extricate  the  wounded 
from  beneath  the  heaps  of  slain,  or  load  of  horses  by  which 
they  were  crushed.  Six  thousand  of  these  noble  animals  en- 
cumbered the  field,  or,  maddened  with  pain,  were  shrieking 
aloud,  amid  the  stifled  groans  of  the  wounded.  Subdued  by 
loss  of  blood,  tamed  by  cold,  exhausted  by  hunger,  the  foemen 
laid  side  by  side  amid  the  general  wreck." 

Napoleon  was  so  affected  by  the  awful  sight  that  he  gave 
expression  to  his  feelings,  even  in  the  bulletin  which  he  pub- 
lished. "This  spectacle,"  he  wrote,  "is  fit  to  excite  in  Princes 
a  love  of  peace  and  a  horror  of  war." 


In  the  night  of  the  next  day,  Napoleon  again  wrote  to 
Josephine  as  follows. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          139 

LETTER  XVII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  PARIS. 
EYLAU,  February  11,  1807 ;  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  send  you  one  line,  my  love.  You  must  have  been  very 
anxious.  I  have  beaten  the  enemy  in  a  memorable  battle, 
but  it  has  cost  me  many  brave  men.  The  inclement  weather 
constrains  me  to  return  to  my  cantonments.  Do  not  indulge 
in  grief,  I  entreat  you.  All  this  will  soon  end.  The  happiness 
of  seeing  you  will  lead  me  soon  to  forget  my  fatigues.  I 
never  was  better.  The  little  Tascher  has  conducted  nobly. 
He  has  had  a  rough  trial.  I  have  placed  him  near  me.  I 
have  made  him  an  officer  of  ordnance.  Thus  his  troubles 
are  ended.  The  young  man  interests  me.  Adieu,  my  dearest. 
A  thousand  kisses.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XVIII. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

EYLAU,  February  12,  1807. 

I  send  you  a  letter  from  General  Darmagnac ;  he  is  a  very 
good  soldier,  who  commanded  the  thirty-second.  He  is  much 
attached  to  me.  If  this  Madame  de  Richemont  is  rich,  and  it 
would  be  a  good  match,  I  should  see  the  marriage  with  pleas- 
ure. Introduce  them  to  each  other.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIX. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS   AT   PARIS. 

EYLAU,  February  14,  1807. 

My  love — I  am  still  at  Eylau.  The  country  is  covered  with 
the  dead  and  the  wounded.  This  is  not  the  pleasant  part  of 
war.  One  suffers,  and  the  soul  is  oppressed  to  see  so  many 
victims.  I  am  well.  I  have  done  what  I  wished.  I  have 


140  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

repulsed  the  enemy,  compelling  him  to  abandon  his  projects. 
You  must  be  very  anxious,  and  that  thought  afflicts  me. 
Nevertheless  tranquillize  yourself,  my  love,  and  be  cheerful. 
Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

Say  to  Caroline  and  Pauline,1  that  the  Grand  Duke  and  the 
Prince  are  very  well. 


It  will  be  remembered  that  before  the  battle  of  Jena,  Napo- 
leon made  a  very  earnest  appeal  to  the  King  of  Prussia  for 
peace.  To  this  appeal  no  reply  was  made.  After  the  battle 
of  Eylau,  Napoleon  remained  five  days  upon  the  field,  attend- 
ing to  the  wounded,  and  waiting  with  the  hope  that  his  again 
discomfited  foes  would  now  themselves  propose  terminating 
the  strife.  They  were  silent.  Napoleon  then  consented  him- 
self to  write  again  to  his  haughty  antagonists  to  ascertain  if 
reconciliation  was  impossible.  His  letter,  dignified  and  cour- 
teous, was  as  follows. 

LETTER  XX. 

NAPOLEON   TO    THE   KINO    OF   PRUSSIA. 

EYLAU,  February  — ,  1807. 

Sire — I  desire  to  put  a  period  to  the  misfortunes  of  your 
family,  and  organize  as  speedily  as  possible  the  Prussian  mon- 
archy, whose  intermediate  power  is  necessary  for  the  tranquil- 
lity of  Europe.  I  desire  peace  with  Russia,  and,  provided  the 
cabinet  of  St.  Petersburg  has  no  designs  upon  the  Turkish 
Empire,  I  see  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  it.  Peace  with  En- 
gland is  no  less  essential  to  all  nations ;  I  shall  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  sending  a  minister  to  Memel  to  take  part  in  a 

1  Caroline  and  Pauline  were  the  sisters  of  Napoleon.  Murat,  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Bery,  afterward  King  of  Naples,  was  the  husband  of 
Caroline.  The  Prince  Borghese  was  the  husband  of  Pauline.  He 
was  in  active  service  with  Napoleon  during  the  whole  of  this  cam- 
paign. 


NAPOLEON    TO    THE    KINO     OF     PRUSSIA.       141 

congress  of  France,  Sweden,  England,  Russia,  Prussia,  and 
Turkey.  But  such  a  congress  may  last  many  years,  which 
would  not  suit  the  present  condition  of  Prussia.  Your  Majesty, 
therefore,  will,  I  am  persuaded,  be  of  opinion  that  I  have  taken 
the  simplest  method,  and  which  is  most  likely  to  secure  the 
prosperity  of  your  subjects.  At  all  events,  I  entreat  your 
Majesty  to  believe  in  my  sincere  desire  to  re-establish  amica- 
ble relations  with  so  friendly  a  power  as  Prussia,  and  that  I 
wish  to  do  the  same  with  Russia  and  England,  etc. 

NAPOLEON. 

Sir  Archibald  Alison,  in  commenting  upon  this  letter,  re- 
marks, "Frederic  William,  however,  was  not  led  to  swerve 
from  the  path  of  honor,  by  this  tempting  offer.  *  *  s 
The  Emperor  of  Russia  had  just  given  the  clearest  indication 
of  the  heroic  firmness  with  which  he  was  disposed  to  main- 
tain the  conflict.  *  *  *  Foiled  in  his  endeavors  to  seduce 
Prussia  into  a  separate  accommodation,  Napoleon  was  driven 
to  the  painful  alternative  of  a  retreat."  Such  is  .the  spirit 
with  which  hostile  historians  have  described  Napoleon's  un- 
wearied endeavors  to  promote  peace.  The  flagrant  injustice 
ca.ii  not  always  be  concealed,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  it  will  excite  the  indignation  of  every  candid  and  gen- 
erous mind.  Mr.  Alison  allows  himself  to  say  that  Napoleon 
was  "foiled  in  his  endeavors  to  seduce  Prussia  into  a  separate 
accommodation."  And  yet  on  the  same  page,  Mr.  Alison  ad- 
mits that  "  Napoleon  finding  that  the  Russians  were  not  dis- 
posed to  propose  an  armistice,  he  determined  himself  to  take 
that  step.  For  this  purpose  General  Bertram  was  sent  to 
Benningsen's  outposts,  with  proposals  of  peace,  both  to  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  and  the  King  of  Prussia.  The  Russian 
General  sent  him  on  to  Memel  where  the  latter  was,  with  a 
letter  strongly  advising  him  not  to  treat,  and  representing  that 
the  fact  of  Napoleon's  proposing  an  armistice,  after  so  doubt- 
ful a  battle  was  the  best  evidence  that  it  was  not  for  the 
interest  of  the  Allies  to  grant  it." 


142  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

;«  fWjMfl  ?"•"»*••"•  -'I*  .  .'*%•':  f  '•  •<&>'  ' 

LETTER  XXL 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 
EYLATJ,  February  17,  1807 ;  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  have  received   your  letter,  which  informs  me  of  your 
arrival  at  Paris.     I  am  very  glad  to  know  it.     The  battle  of 
Eylau  was  very  bloody  and  very  hotly  contested.     Corbineau 
was  killed.     He  was  a  very  brave  man ;  I  was  strongly  at- 
tached to  him. 

Adieu,  my  love.     It  is  as  warm  here  as  in  the  month  of 
April.     Every  thing  thaws.     I  am  well.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   PARIS. 

LANDSBEUG,  February  18,  1807 ;  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  write  you  two  words.     I  am  very  well.     I  am  in  move- 
ment to  put  my  army  into  winter  quarters.     It  rains  and  thaws 
as  in  the  month  of  April.     We  have  not  yet  had  one  cold 
day.     Adieu,  my  love.     Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON.- 

The  weather  at  this  time  was  mild  for  winter,  seldom  fall- 
ing more  than  two  or  three  degrees  below  freezing.  The 
ground  was,  however,  covered  with  snow.  The  Emperor  with 
the  utmost  care,  daily  devoting  his  personal  attention  to  the 
work,  transported  six  thousand  of  the  wounded,  on  beds  of 
straw  placed  in  sledges,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the 
Vistula.  After  every  thing  was  removed,  the  sick,  the 
wounded,  the  baggage  of  the  army  and  the  captured  guns, 
Napoleon  on  the  17th  commenced  his  march  back  to  his  win- 
ter quarters. 

In  reference  to  this  conflict,  Thiers  remarks : 
"  Napoleon  having  pushed  his  corps  to  the  banks  of  the 
Frisching  was  content  to  leave  them  there  for  a  few  days,  to 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          143 

be  fully  certified  of  his  victory,  and  then  proposed  to  retire 
and  resume  his  cantonments.  He  had  not,  indeed,  obtained 
the  whole  result  with  the  prospect  of  which  he  had  at  first 
flattered  himself,  and  which  would  certainly  not  have  escaped 
him  if  an  intercepted  dispatch  had  not  revealed  his  designs  to 
the  Russians.  But  he  had  pursued  them  fighting  for  fifty 
leagues  ;  had  destroyed  nine  thousand  of  them  in  a  series  of 
rear-guard  actions ;  and  finding  them  at  Eylau,  formed  into 
compact  mass,  covered  by  artillery,  resolved  to  desperation, 
eighty  thousand  strong,  including  the  Prussians,  in  a  plain 
where  no  maneuvering  was  possible,  he  had  attacked  them 
with  fifty-four  thousand,  destroyed  them  with  cannon-balls, 
and  parried  all  the  actions  of  the  engagement  with  impertur- 
bable coolness,  while  his  lieutenants  were  exerting  themselves 
to  rejoin  him.  The  Russians,  on  that  day,  had  all  their  ad- 
vantages, solidity,  immovableness  in  fire.  The  Emperor  had 
not  had  all  his  upon  a  ground  where  it  was  not  possible  for 
him  to  maneuver.  But  to  the  tenacity  of  his  foes  he  had  op- 
posed invincible  courage,  a  moral  force  above  the  horrors  of 
the  most  frightful  slaughter.  The  spirit  of  his  soldiers  was 
displayed,  on  that  day  as  strongly  as  his  own.  Assuredly  he 
had  reason  to  be  proud  of  this  test.  Besides,  for  the  twelve 
or  thirteen  thousand  men  whom  he  had  lost  on  those  eight 
days,  he  had  destroyed  thirty-six  thousand  of  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

LETTERS    IN   THE   TEAR    1807,    DURING    THE    WINTER 
ENCAMPMENT  UPON  THE  VISTULA. 

ON  the  17th  of  February,  Napoleon  commenced  his  march 
back  to  the  comfortable  winter  quarters  he  had  provided  for 
his  troops  upon  the  banks  of  the  Vistula.  Here  he  remained 
for  four  months,  sustaining  with  apparently  perfect  ease,  all 
the  myriad  cares  of  his  distant  empire  and  of  his  vast  armies. 
The  letters  contained  in  this  chapter  were  written  during  this 
period. 

LETTER  I. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

LETBSTADT,1  February  20,  1807;  2  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  write  you  two  words,  my  love,  that  you  may  not  be  anx- 
ious. My  health  is  very  good  and  my  affairs  are  prosperous. 
I  have  put  my  army  into  cantonments.  The  season  is  capri- 
cious ;  it  freezes  and  it  thaws ;  it  is  humid  and  inconstant. 
Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   II. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 
LEIBSTADT,  February  21 ;  2  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  4th  of  February.     I  see, 
in  it,  with  pleasure,  that  your  health  is  good.     Paris  will  serve 
1  A  hamlet  on  the  Passarge,  where  Napoleon  tarried  for  a  few  days 
as  his  troops  were  on  their  return  march. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         145 

to  restore  to  you  gayety  and  repose — a  return  to  your  former 
habits  and  health. 

I  am  remarkably  well.  The  weather  and  the  country  are 
very  bad.  My  affairs  are  sufficiently  prosperous.  It  thaws 
and  freezes  in  twenty-four  hours.  No  one  ever  saw  so  capri- 
cious a  winter. 

'  Adieu,  my  love ;  I  love  you,  I  think  of  you,  and  desire  to 
know  that  you  are  contented,  cheerful,  and  happy.  Entirely 
thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  HI. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

LEIBSTADT,  February  21,  1807 ;  noon. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  8th,  my  love.  I  see  with 
pleasure  that  you  have  been  to  the  opera,  and  that  you  intend 
to  have  receptions  every  week,  and  always  in  grand  state.  I 
see  with  pleasure  the  fetes  which  have  been  given  you.  I  am 
very  well.  The  weather  is  ever  variable ;  it  freezes  and  thaws. 
I  have  put  my  army  into  cantonments  for  repose.  Never  be 
sad ;  love  me,  and  believe  in  my  constant  affection. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

OsTERODE,1  the  23d ;  2  o'clock  p.  M. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th.     I  see 
with  pain  that  you  are  a  little  incommoded.     I  have  been  in 

1  A  wretched  little  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Passarge,  where  Na- 
poleon established  his  headquarters,  that  he  might  be  in  the  midst  of 
his  army,  and  might  thus  personally  superintend  every  movement  of 
importance.  A  barn  was  his  palace,  where  he  shared  every  hardship 
and  privation  of  his  troops.  "  If,  instead  of  remaining  in  a  hole  like 
Osterode,"  says  Savary,  "where  every  one  was  under  his  eye,  and 
7 


146  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

the  field  for  a  month,  in  frightful  weather,  because  inconstant, 
and  varying  from  cold  to  heat  in  one  week.  Nevertheless,  I 
am  very  well. 

Seek  to  pass  your  time  agreeably.     Lay  aside  care,  and 
never  doubt  the  love  with  which  I  cherish  you.  NAPOLEON. 


On  the  1st  of  March,  Napoleon  at  Osterode,  wrote  to  his 
brother  Joseph  at  Naples,  who  had  complained  of  the  hard- 
ships to  which  the  army  was  exposed  in  his  kingdom. 

LETTER  V. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

'    OSTERODE,  March  1,  1807. 

I  refer  you  to  what  General  Berthier  will  tell  you,  respect- 
ing the  comparison  you  make  of  the  army  of  Naples  and  the 
grand  army.  The  officers  of  the  staff  have  not  undressed  for 
two  months,  and  some  not  for  four.  I  myself  have  been  fif- 

where  he  could  set  his  whole  force  in  motion,  the  Emperor  had  estab- 
lished himself  in  a  great  town,  it  would  have  required  three  months  to 
do  what  he  effected  in  less  than  one." 

"It  is  surely  an  imposing  and  instructive  sight,"  says  Thiers,  "to 
see  that  impetuous  general,  who,  as  his  detractors  allege,  was  fit  only 
for  offensive  war,  carried,  at  a  bound,  from  the  Rhine  to  the  Vistula, 
pausing  all  at  once  before  the  difficulties  of  localities  and  seasons,  shut- 
ting himself  up  in  a  narrow  space,  carrying  on  cold,  slow,  methodical 
war  there,  disputing  petty  streams  foot  by  foot,  after  passing  the  larg- 
est rivers  without  stopping,  confining  himself  to  covering  a  siege,  and 
placed  at  so  vast  a  distance  from  his  empire,  in  presence  of  Europe, 
which  this  new  mode  of  proceeding  astonished,  and  in  which  doubt 
began  to  gain  ground,  retaining  unutterable  firmness,  not  seduced  even 
by  the  desire  of  striking  a  signal  blow,  and  knowing  how  to  defer  that 
blow  till  the  moment  when  the  nature  of  things  made  it  sure  and  pos- 
sible— it  is,  we  say,  worthy  of  interest,  astonishment,  admiration.  It 
is  a  fine  subject  for  study  and  reflection  for  any  one  who  can  appreciate 
the  combinations  of  great  men,  and  who  takes  delight  in  meditating 
upon  them." 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         147 

teen  days  without  taking  off  my  boots.  We  are  in  the  midst 
of  snow  and  mud,  without  bread,  without  wine,  without 
brandy,  eating  potatoes  and  meat,  making  long  marches  and 
counter-marches,  without  any  comforts  whatever;  fighting 
without  the  bayonet,  and  frequently  under  grape ;  the  wound- 
ed being  obliged  to  be  transported  in  sledges,  in  the  open  air, 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  It  is,  then,  but  cruel  jesting,  to 
compare  us  with  the  army  of  Naples,  which  is  carrying  on 
war  in  the  beautiful  country  of  Naples,  where  you  have  bread, 
wine,  oil,  cloth,  sheets  to  your  beds,  society,  and  even  that  of 
the  ladies.  After  having  destroyed  the  Russian  monarchy,  we 
are  fighting  against  the  rest  of  the  Prussians,  against  the  Rus- 
sians, against  the  Cossacks,  the  Calmucks,  and  the  northern 
tribes  which  of  old  overran  the  Roman  Empire.  We  are  wag- 
ing war  in  all  its  energy,  and  in  all  its  horror. 

The  army  of  Naples  has  no  cause  to  complain.  Say  to 
them,  "do  you  complain?  Ask  General  Berthier,  and  he  will 
tell  you  that  your  Emperor,  during  fifteen  days,  has  eaten 
nothing  but  potatoes,  and  has  bivouacked  amid  the  snows  of 
Poland.  Judge  from  that  what  must  be  the  condition  of  the 
under  officers.  They  have  nothing  to  eat  but  mere  meat." 


LETTER  VI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  2,  1807. 

My  love — it  is  two  or  three  days  since  I  have  written  to 
you.  I  reproach  myself  for  it,  for  I  know  your  anxiety.  I 
am  very  well.  My  affairs  are  moving  prosperously.  I  am  in 
a  miserable  village,  where  I  must  still  remain  for  some  time. 
Tin's  is  not  like  being  in  a  great  city.  I  repeat  to  you  that  I 
was  never  so  well.  You  will  find  that  I  have  gained  in  flesh. 
We  have  here  the  weather  of  spring;  the  snow  melts,  the 
rivers  thaw,  that  gives  me  pleasure.  I  have  ordered  what  you 


148  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

desire  for  Malmaison.  Be  cheerful  and  happy  ;  it  is  my  wish. 
Adieu,  my  love.  I  embrace  you  with  my  whole  heart.  En- 
tirely thine.  NAPOLEON. 


Anxious  as  Napoleon  was  for  peace,  and  untiring  as  were 
his  efforts  to  secure  it,  the  following  letter,  written  at  this 
time  to  Talleyrand,  his  minister  at  Warsaw,  shows  very  con- 
clusively that  he  did  not  fear  the  issues  of  war.  Andreossy,  to 
whom  the  letter  refers,  was  the  French  minister  at  Vienna. 
St.  Vincent  was  the  Austrian  minister  in  Warsaw. 

LETTER  VII. 

NAPOLEON   TO    TALLEYRAND. 

OSTERODE,  March,  1807. 

General  Andreossy  is  opinionated  ;  an  indifferent  observer, 
probably  exaggerating  what  he  sees.  But  you  are  credulous ; 
as  inclined  to  allow  yourself  to  be  seduced  as  you  are  clever 
in  seducing  others.  One  need  but  flatter  in  order  to  deceive 
you.  M.  de  Vincent  deceives  you  while  caressing  you.  Aus- 
tria fears  us,  but  she  hates  us.  She  is  arming  to  take  advan- 
tage of  any  reverse.  If  we  gain  a  great  victory  in  the  spring, 
she  will  behave  like  M.  de  Haugwitz  the  day  after  the  battle 
of  Austerfitz,  and  you  will  have  been  right.  If  the  war  is 
merely  doubtful,  we  shall  find  her  in  arms  upon  our  rear. 
Meanwhile  we  must  oblige  her  to  speak  out. 

It  is,  in  fact,  a  great  fault  in  her  not  to  come  to  an  under- 
standing at  once,  and  not  to  take  advantage  of  a  moment 
when  we  are  masters  of  Prussia,  to  recover,  through  qnr 
means,  what  Frederic  formerly  wrested  from  her.  She  can,  if 
she  pleases,  indemnify  herself  in  a  day  for  all  that  she  has  lost 
in  half  a  century,  and  remake  the  fortune  of  the  house  of 
Austria,  so  diminished  at  one  time  by  Prussia,  at  another  by 
France.  But  she  must  explain  herself. 

Does  she  want  indemnities  for  what  she  has  lost  ?     I  offer 


JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTEN8E.  149 

her  Silicia.  Does  the  state  of  the  East  alarm  her  ?  I  am 
ready  to  satisfy  her  respecting  the  fate  of  the  Lower  Danube, 
by  disposing  pf  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  as  she  pleases.  Is 
our  presence  in  Dahnatia  a  subject  of  umbrage  ?  I  am 
ready  to  make  any  sacrifices  there,  receiving  an  equivalent. 
Or  lastly,  is  it  for  war  that  she  is  preparing,  to  try,  for  the 
last  time  the  power  of  her  arms,  taking  advantage  of  the 
union  of  the  whole  continent,  against  us  ?  Be  it  so.  I  ac- 
cept this  new  adversary.  But  let  her  not  hope  to  surprise 
me.  None  but  women  and  children  can  suppose  that  I  shall 
penetrate  the  deserts  of  Russia  without  having  taken  my  pre- 
cautions. Austria  will  not  find  me  unprepared.  In  Saxony, 
in  Bavaria,  in  Italy,  she  will  meet  with  armies  ready  to  oppose 
her.  She  will  see  me,  by  a  rearward  march,  drop  down  upon 
her  with  my  whole  weight,  crush  her,  and  punish  her  more 
severely  than  I  have  punished  any  of  the  powers  that  I  have 
ever  conquered.  For  her  treachery  I  will  make  her  an  ex- 
ample more  striking,  more  terrible  than  any  thing  that.is  sug- 
gested by  the  present  state  of  Prussia.  Let  her  explain  herself 
then,  that  I  may  know  what  to  depend  upon  in  regard  to  her 
dispositions,"  etc.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

PARIS,  March  1,  1807. 

I  have  received  much  pleasure  in  speaking  of  you  with  M. 
Janssens.  I  perceive,  from  what  he  tells  me  respecting  Hol- 
land, that  the  king  is  very  much  beloved  and  that  you  share 
in  the  general  affection.  This  renders  me  happy.  My  health 
is  very  good  at  the  present  moment,  but  my  heart  is  always 
sad. 

All  the  private  letters  which  I  have  seen  agree  in  the  dec- 
laration that  the  Emperor  exposed  himself  very  much  at  the 
battle  of  Eylau.  I  frequently  receive  tidings  from  him,  and 


150  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

sometimes  two  letters  in  a  day.  This  is  a  great  consolation, 
but  it  does  not  replace  him. 

I  was,  a  few  days  ago,  the  witness  of  a  frightful  accident  at 
the  opera.  The  actress  who  performed  the  part,  of  Minerva 
in  the  ballet  of  Ulysses,  fell  from  the  height  of  twenty  feet 
and  broke  her  arm.  As  she  is  poor,  and  the  mother  of  a  fam- 
ily, I  sent  her  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

M.  Janssens  has  brought  me  a  little  savage  who  is  truly 
charming  and  very  amusing.  They  took  him  yesterday  to 
the  opera,  and  they  had  all  the  difficulty  in  the  world  to  pre- 
vent him  from  whistling  and  dancing. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  love  you  tenderly,  and  tenderly 
embrace  you.  If  you  wish  that  I  should  be  more  happy,  permit 
me  to  hope  that  in  a  few  months  I  may  have  a  little  grand- 
daughter. A  thousand  kind  remembrances  to  the  king. 

I  embrace  your  children.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

March  10,  1807 ;  4  o'clock,  p.  M. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  25th.  I  see 
with  pleasure  that  you  are  well,  and  that  you  go  sometimes  to 
walk  at  Malmaison.  My  health  is  good  and  my  affairs  pros- 
perous. The  weather  is  becoming  a  little  cold.  I  see  that 
this  winter  has  been  everywhere  very  variable. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Take  care  of  yourself.  Be  cheerful,  and 
never  doubt  my  affection.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  11,  180T. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  27th.     I  see 
then  with  pain  that  you  are  sick.    Take  courage.    My  health  is 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         151 

good,  rny  affairs  prosperous.  I  am  waiting  for  the  fine  season 
which  must  soon  come.  I  love  you,  and  I  wish  to  know  that 
you  are  contented  and  happy. 

Many  foolish  things  are  said  about  the  battle  of  Eylau. 
The  bulletin  tells  all.  The  losses  there  are  rather  exagger- 
ated than  made  too  small.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

There  was  at  the  time  much  dispute  about  the  respective 
numbers  who  fell  at  Eylau.  Napoleon,  in  his  bulletin,  written 
immediately  after  the  battle,  states  the  French  loss  at  two 
thousand  killed,  and  five  or  isix  thousand  wounded.  "  We 
may  assert,"  says  Thiers,  "  that  in  the  evening  after  the  battle 
he  was  authorized  to  suppose  that  there  were  not  more."  It 
subsequently  appeared  by  the  most  careful  official  returns,  that 
there  were  three  thousand  killed  and  seven  thousand  wounded. 
It  is  always  difficult  to  estimate  with  accuracy,  the  wounded, 
as  the  slightest  contusion  may  be  called  a  wound.  "The 
Russians,"  says  Thiers,  "  retired,  leaving  upon  the  ground  seven 
thousand  dead  and  more  than  five  thousand  wounded.  They 
took  with  them  about  fifteen  thousand  wounded,  more  or  less 
severely.  They  consequently  had  twenty-seven  thousand  men 
hors  de  combat.  We  had  taken  three  our  four  thousand  pris- 
oners. Their  total  loss  amounted  to  thirty  thousand  men. 


LETTER  XI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  13,  1807 ;  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
I  learn,  my  love,  that  the  mischievous  talk  which  was  held 
in  your  saloon,  at  Mayence,  is  renewed.  Silence  it.  I  shall  be 
much  displeased  if  you  do  not  find  a  remedy  for  this.  You  allow 
yourself  to  be  afflicted  by  the  remarks  of  those  who  ought  to 
comfort  you.  I  recommend  to  you  more  force  of  character 
and  to  learn  how  to  put  every  one  into  his  proper  place. 


152  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  am  very  well.     My  affairs  are  prosperous.    We  are  enjoy- 
ing a  little  repose  and  are  collecting  provisions. 
Adieu,  my  love.     Take  care  of  your  health. 

NAPOLEON. 

Thiers,  speaking  of  the  condition  of  the  two  armies  at  this 
time,  while  the  French  were  in  winter  quarters  upon  the  Vis- 
tula, says, 

"All  the  Russian  officers,  filled  with  admiration  of  our 
army,  sensible  that  in  fact  they  were  fighting  much  more 
for  England  or  Prussia  than  for  themselves,  longed  for  peace 
and  called  loudly  for  it.  Their  troops,  not  supplied,  like  those 
of  Napoleon,  by  a  superior  forecast,  were  dying  of  hunger. 
Weary  of  war  they  had  ceased  to  fight  with  our  men.  They 
met,  in  marauding  bands,  almost  without  attacking  each 
other.  They  seemed  to  have  instinctively  agreed  not  to  add 
to  the  hardships  of  their  situation.  Sometimes  it  happened 
that  unfortunate  Cossacks,  driven  by  hunger,  and  expressing 
themselves  by  signs,  came  to  beg  bread  of  our  soldiers,  giving 
them  to  understand  that,  for  several  days,  they  had  not  had 
any  thing  to  eat ;  and  our  men,  always  disposed  to  pity,  gave 
them  potatoes,  of  which  they  had  a  great  abundance.  Singu- 
lar sight — this  return  to  humanity  even  amid  the  cruelties 
of  war." 


,    LETTER  XH. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS   AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  15,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  1st  of  March,  in  which  I 
perceive  that  you  were  much  moved  by  the  catastrophe  of 
Minerva  at  the  opera.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  go  out  and 
divert  yourself.  My  health  is  good ;  my  affairs  very  prosperous. 
Do  not  place  any  reliance  in  the  mischievous  rumors  which 
are  in  circulation.  Never  doubt  my  affection,  and  lay  aside 
all  anxiety.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPHINE.  153 

LETTER  XIII. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  17,  1807. 

It  is  not  right  for  you  to  go  with  humble  equipage  to  the 
minor  theaters.  That  is  not  suitable  to  your  rank.  You 
ought  only  to  go  to  the  large  theaters  in  impsoing  state. 
Live  as  you  were  accustomed  to  do  when  I  was  in  Paris. 

My  health  is  very  good.  The  weather  has  changed  to  cold. 
The  thermometer  has  been  at  eight  degrees.  Enty^ely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  March  17,  1807;  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  5th  of  March,  in  which  I 
see  with  pleasure  that  you  are  well.  My  health  is  perfect. 
The  weather,  for  the  last  two  days  has,  however,  been  a  little 
colder.  The  thermometer,  to-night,  is  at  ten  degrees ;  but  the 
sun  gave  us  a  very  fine  day. 

Adieu,  my  love;  my  kindest  remembrance  to  all  your 
household.  Speak  to  me  of  the  death  of  poor  Dupuis.  Let 
it  be  said  to  his  brother  that  I  wish  to  do  him  a  kindness. 
My  affairs  here  are  very  prosperous.  Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XV. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

March  25,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  13th  of  March.     If  you 

would  please  me  you  must  absolutely,  in  all  respects,  live  as 

you  were  accustomed  to  live  when  I  was  in  Paris.     Then  you 

never  went  out  to  the  minor  theaters  or  to  such  places.     You 

7* 


154  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

ought  always  to  appear  in  state.  As  to  your  life  -at  home,  to 
have  receptions  and  stated  soirees,  this  is  the  only  way  of  mer- 
iting my  approbation.  Grandeur  has  its  inconveniences.  An 
Empress  can  not  move  with  the  freedom  of  a  private  person. 

A  thousand  and  a  thousand  loves.    (Mille  et  mille  amities). 
My  health  is  good.     My  affairs  are  prosperous. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

March  27,  180? ;  t  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

My  love — your  letter  has  given  me  pain.  You  are  not 
going  to  die.  You  are  in  good  health  'and  have  no  reasonable 
cause  for  grief.  I  think  that  you  might  go  to  St.  Cloud  in 
the  month  of  May,  but  you  should  remain  all  of  the  month 
of  April  in  Paris.  My  health  is  good,  and  my  affairs  pros- 
perous. 

You  must  not  think  of  making  a  journey  this  summer ; 
that  is  impossible.  You  must  not  run  through  inns  and  camps. 
I  desire  as  much  as  you  to  see  you,  and  to  live  in  tranquillity. 
I  know  how  to  do  other  things  besides  making  war,  but  duty 
must  be  attended  to  before  all  things  else.  All  my  life  I  have 
sacrificed  every  thing,  tranquillity,  interest,  happiness  to  my 
destiny.  See  but  little  of  that  Madame  P.  She  is  too  vulgar 
and  low.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  I  have  had  reason  to  complain  of  M.  T.  *  *  *  I 
have  sent  him  to  his  estates  in  Burgundy.  I  wish  to  hear 
nothing  more  about  him. 


LETTER   XVII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE   AT   THE    HAGUE. 

PARIS,  March  29,  1807. 

I  have  been  sick,  my  dear  Hortense,  for  many  days.     I  find 
myself  much  better  and  profit  by  it  to  write  to  you.     It  is 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        155 

Madam  Villeneuve  who  will  take  to  you  my  letter.  The  last 
week  has  passed  with  me  very  rapidly  and  agreeably  ;  I  have 
spent  it  at  Malmaison,  in  the  midst  of  the  improvements  which 
they  are  making  there,  and  this  occupation  has  recruited  my 
health. 

.  You  will  have  learned  with  pleasure  of  the  happy  accouch- 
ment  of  the  Princess  Augusta.  Eugene  is  delighted  with  his 
daughter.  He  only  complains  of  her  sleeping  so  much  which 
prevents  him  from  seeing  her  at  his  leisure.  I  have  this  mo- 
ment received  news  from  Milan.  All  there  are  well.  The 
Emperor  writes  to  me  veiy  frequently.  His  last  letter  was 
dated  on  the  17th.  He  assures  me  that  his  health  is  very 
good  ;  but  he  says  nothing  about  his  return,  and  I  can  not  be 
happy  until  he  is  here.  My  most  affectionate  remembrance 
to  the  king.  I  embrace  your  children  and  you  also,  my  be- 
loved daughter,  very  tenderly.  You  know  my  heart  and  all 
my  affection  for  you.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XXVIH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

OSTERODE,  April  1,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  20th,  my  love.  I  see 
with  pain  that  you  are  sick.  I  have  written  to  you  to  remain 
in  Paris  during  the  month  of  April,  and  to  go  to  St.  Cloud 
the  1st  of  May.  At  Malmaison  you  could  go  there  to  pass 
the  Sundays  and  for  a  day  or  two.  At  St.  Cloud  you  can 
have  your  receptions  as  usual.  My  health  is  good.  It  is  still 
quite  cold  here.  Every  thing  is  tranquil.  I  have  named  the 
little  Princess  Josephine.1  Eugene  ought  to  be  very  happy. 
Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

1  This  Princess,  born  the  14th  of  March,  1807,  the  eldest  daughter 
of  Eugene,  was  married  the  18th  of  June,  1827,  to  Prince  Joseph 
Francis  Oscar,  son  of  Bernadotte,  King  of  Sweden. 


156  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER   XIX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

PlNCKENSTEIN,  April  2,  1807. 

My  love — I  write  you  a  word.  I  have  removed  ray  head- 
quarters to  a  very  pleasant  chateau,  something  like  that  of 
Bessieres,  where  I  have  many  fire-places.  This  is  very  grate- 
ful to  me,  as  I  rise  often  in  the  night.  I  love  to  see  the  fire. 

My  health  is  perfect.  The  weather  is  beautiful,  hut  still 
cold.  The  thermometer  is  at  four  or  five  degrees.  Adieu,  my 
love.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

Thiers  gives  the  following  account  of  Napoleon's  condition 
and  employments  at  this  time.  After  enumerating  the  enor- 
mous multiplicity  of  his  cares,  he  says  : 

"  Such  is  the  multitude  of  objects  to  which  Napoleon  di- 
rected his  attention  in  the  village  of  Osterode,  living  in  a  sort 
of  barn,  whence  he  awed  Europe  and  governed  his  Empire. 
A  more  suitable  abode  was  at  length  found  for  him  at  Fincken- 
stein.  It  was  a  country  house,  belonging  to  one  of  the  em- 
ployees of  the  crown  of  Prussia,  and  spacious  enough  to 
accommodate  himself  with  his  staff  and  his  military  house- 
hold. There,  as  at  Osterode,  he  was  in  the  center  of  his  can- 
tonments, and  had  it  in  his  power  to  repair  to  any  quarter 
where  his  presence  might  be  necessary.  The  portfolios  of  the 
several  ministers  were  sent  to  him  every  week,  and  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  most  important  as  well  as  the  most  trivial 
matters." 


LETTER   XX. 

FROM   THE    EMPRESS   TO    HORTENSE. 

PARIS,  April  2,  1807. 

Lady  Shaftesbury  desires,  my  dear  daughter,  that  I  would 
give  her  a  Mter  of  recommendation  to  you.     I  consent  to  do 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        157 

it  the  more  readily,  since  I  believe  that  this  lady  is  worthy  of 
your  interest.  She  has  passed  six  months  here  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  Emperor,  and  Prince  Jerome  has  given  her  a 
letter  of  recommendation  to  the.  King  of  Holland.  I  know 
not  what  Lady  Shaftesbury  desires  of  you,  but  I  should  be 
greatly  gratified  if  you  can  be  useful  to  her  should  any  oppor- 
tunity present  itself. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  Hortense.     I  love  you,  and  embrace  you 
tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XXI. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

April  6,  1807 ;  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

My  love— I  have  received  your  letter,  in  which  I  perceive 
that  you  have  passed  the  holy  week  at  Malmaison,  and  that 
you  are  better.  I  hope  that  you  have  entirely  recovered. 

I  am  in  a  fine  country-house,  where  there  are  fire-places. 
That  is  very  agreeable.  It  is  still  cold.  Every  thing  is  frozen 
up.  You  will  have  seen  that  I  have  good  news  from  Constan- 
tinople.1 My  health  is  good.  There  is  nothing  new.  En- 
tirely thine.  NAPOLEON. 

1  The  British  government  made  a  desperate  endeavor  to  compel 
Turkey  to  unite  in  the  coalition  against  France.  A  British  fleet  forced 
the  Dardanelles,  and  anchored  opposite  Constantinople.  Mr.  Wellesley 
Pole,  the  agent  of  the  British  government,  presented  himself  before  the 
Turkish  divan  in  his  riding-dress,  with  his  whip  in  his  hand,  and  per- 
emptorily announced  that  if  the  Turkish  government  did  not  imme- 
diately enter  into  the  alliance  against  France,  the  city  should,  in  one 
half-hour,  be  laid  in  ashes.  The  English  were  beguiled  into  a  parley. 
The  Turks  worked  day  and  night,  throwing  up  concealed  batteries, 
and  then,  with  red-hot  balls,  pelted  the  expedition  out  of  the  Straits. 
It  is  to  this  that  the  Emperor  refers. 


158  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  XXII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PAEI8. 

April  10,  1807 ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

My  love — I  am  very  well.  The  spring  commences  here, 
but  as  yet  there  is  no  vegetation.  I  desire  that  you  should 
be  cheerful  and  contented,  and  that  you  should  never  doubt 
my  affection.  All  things  are  prosperous.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXIII: 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

April  14,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  3d  of  April.  I  see  by  it 
that  you  are  well,  and  that  it  is  very  cold  in  Paris.  The 
weather  here  is  very  variable  ;  nevertheless,  I  think  that  the 
spring  has  at  last  arrived.  All  the  ice  is  thawed.  I  am  re- 
markably well. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  have  long  ago  ordered  for  Malmaison 
every  thing  which  you  have  desired.  Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXIV. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

FIXCKENSTEIS,  April  14,  1807. 

My  brother — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  26th  of 
March.  I  have  appointed  Colonel  Destrees  Brigadier-General. 
Since  you  wish  me  to  speak  to  you  of  the  transactions  at  Na- 
ples, I  will  say  to  you  that  I  was  not  very  highly  pleased  with 
your  preamble  to  the  decree  suppressing  the  convents.1 

1  The  preamble  of  the  decree,  suppressing  several  of  the  monkish  in- 
stitutions, stated  that  the  religions  orders,  which  had  formerly  been 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH.  159 

In  what  concerns  religion,  the  language  employed  should 
be  in  a  religious  and  not  in  a  philosophical  spirit.  This  is  the 
great  art  of  him  who  is  a  governor,  and  not  an  author,  or  a 
man  of  letters.  Why  speak  of  the  services  rendered  to  the 
arts  and  the  sciences  by  the  monks  ?  Their  merit  does  not 
consist  in  such  services,  but  in  their  administration  of  the 
consolations  of  religion.  This  preamble  is  entirely  philosoph- 
ical, and  I  think  that  that  does  not  meet  the  case.  This 
seems  to  me  to  insult  the  men  who  are  removed.  The  pre- 
amble for  the  suppression  of  the  monks  would  have  been  suit- 
able if  it  had  been  in  accordance  with  the  system  of  the 
monks.  One  can  endure  disagreeable  things,  with  less  impa- 
tience from  a  man  who  agrees  with  you,  than  from  one  who 
urges  an  opposite  opinion. 

It  should  have  been  said  that  the  great  number  of  monks 
renders  their  support  difficult — that  the  dignity  of  their  pro- 
fession requires  that  they  should  be  well  supported,  hence  the 
necessity  of  a  reform — that  some  must  be  preserved  for  the 
administration  of  the  sacraments,  and  that  others  must  be  re- 
moved, etc.  I  state  this  as  a  general  principle. 

I  conceive  a  bad  opinion  of  a  government  all  whose  edicts 
are  expressed  in  fine  writing.  Each  decree  ought  to  have  its 
appropriate  and  professional  style.  But  a  well-instructed 
monk,  who  should  approve  of  the  suppression,  would  not  have 
expressed  himself  in  that  manner.  People  can  bear  injury 
when  it  is  not  accompanied  by  insult,  and  when  the  blow  is 
not  struck  by  an  enemy.  Now  the  enemies  of  the  monks  are 
the  literary  men  and  the  philosophers.  You  know  that  I  my- 
self am  not  fond  of  them,  since  I  have  destroyed  them  wher- 
ever I  could.  NAPOLEON. 

preservers  of  the  arts,  and  promoters  of  the  sciences,  were  now  unnec- 
cessary,  since  the  whole  attention  of  the  age  was  directed  toward  these 
objects. 


160  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

LETTER  XXV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

FINCKBNSTEIX,  April  18,  1807. 

1  have  your  letter  of  the  5th  of  April.  I  see  with  pain 
that  you  are  chagrined  at  what  I  said  to  you.  As  usual,  your 
little  Creole  head  becomes  excited  and  afflicted,  "  tu  petite  tete 
Creole  se  monte  et  s'afflige"  Let  us  then  say  no  more  about 
it.  I  am  very  well.  The  weather  is,  nevertheless,  rainy. 
Savary  is  very  sick,  before  Dantzic,  of  a  bilious  fever.  I  hope 
it  will  not  amount  to  any  thing.  Adieu,  my  love.  My  best 
affections  are  with  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XXVI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  April  18,  1807. 

My  brother — I  have  received  your  letter  of  March  29th.  I 
thank  you  for  all  that  you  say  to  me.  Peace  is  a  marriage 
which  depends  upon  the  union  of  inclinations.  If  it  is  neces- 
sary still  to  fight  I  am  prepared  to  do  so.  You  will  see,  by 
my  message  to  the  senate,  that  I  am  raising  fresh  troops. 

I  am  not  of  your  opinion  that  the  Neapolitans  love  you. 
This  is  the  test.  If  there  were  not  a  single  Frenchman  in 
Naples,  could  you  raise  there  an  army  of  thirty  thousand 
men  to  defend  you  against  the  English  and  the  partisans  of 
the  queen  ?  Since  I  am  satisfied  to  the  contrary  I  can  not 
think  as  you  do. 

Undoubtedly  your  people  will  become  attached  to  you ;  but 
it  will  be  after  eight  or  ten  years  of  peace,  when  you  know 
them  well  and  they  know  you.  To  love  with  the  people 
means  to  esteem ;  and  they  esteem  their  sovereign  when  he 
is  dreaded  by  the  bad,  and  when  the  good  have  such  confi- 
dence in  him  that  he  can,  under  all  circumstances,  rely  upon 
their  fidelity  and  their  aid.  NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON    TO    THE    SWEDISH    GOVERNMENT.       161 

In  the  letter,  to  which  the  above  was  a  reply,  Joseph  had 
urged  his  brother  to  make  peace  at  any  price ;  he  had  also 
expressed  the  opinion  that  he  was  beloved  by  his  Neapolitan 
subjects.  Sweden  had  also  been  drawn  by  the  British  govern- 
ment into  this  iniquitous  coalition  against  the  Empire  of 
France.  Immediately  after  the  battle  of  Eylau,  Napoleon 
said,  in  one  of  his  bulletins,  on  the  23d  of  April,  1807  : 

"  Should  Swedish  blood  flow  for  the  ruin  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire  or  for  its  defense  ?  Should  it  be  shed  to  subvert  the 
freedom  of  the  seas,  or  to  establish  that  freedom  ?  What  has 
Sweden  to  fear  from  France  ?  Nothing.  What  from  Rus- 
sia? Every  thing.  A  peace,  or  even  a  truce  with  Sweden, 
would  accomplish  the  dearest  wish  of  his  Majesty's  heart,  who 
has  always  beheld  with  pain  the  hostilities  in  which  he  was 
engaged  with  a  nation,  generous  and  brave,  linked  alike  by  its 
historical  recollections  and  geographical  position  to  the  alli- 
ance with  France." 

In  accordance  with  these  views  Napoleon  sent  the  follow- 
ing pacific  letter  to  the  Swedish  government. 

LETTER   XXVII. 

NAPOLEON   TO    THE    SWEDISH    GOVERNMENT. 

I  have  nothing  more  at  heart  than  to  re-establish  peace  with 
Sweden.  Political  passion  may  have  divided  us,  but  state  in- 
terest, which  ought  to  rule  the  determination  of  sovereigns, 
should  reunite  our  policy.  Sweden  can  not  be  ignorant  that 
in  the  present  contest  she  is  as  much  interested  in  the  success 
of  our  arms  as  France  itself.  She  will  speedily  feel  the  con- 
sequences of  Russian  aggrandisement. 

Is  it  for  the  destruction  of  the  Empire  of  Constantinople 
that  the  Swedes  are  fighting  ?  Sweden  is  not  less  interested 
than  France  in  the  diminution  of  the  enormous  maritime 
power  of  England.  Accustomed  by  the  traditions  of  our 
fathers  to  regard  each  other  as  friends,  our  bonds  are  drawn 
closer  together  by  the  partition  of  Poland,  and  the  dangers 


162  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS.  ,' 

of  the  Ottoman  Empire.     Our  political  interests  are  the  same. 
Why  then  are  we  at  variance  ? 

The  views  contained  in  the  above  letter,  strengthened  by 
the  powerful  and  victorious  armies  which  Napoleon  had  now 
at  his  command,  induced  the  Swedish  generals,  on  the  18th 
of  April,  to  enter  into  an  armistice.  The  king  Gustavus, 
however,  who  declared  that  Napoleon  was  the  "  beast"  spoken 
of  in  the  Book  of  Eevelation,  refused  to  ratify  the  convention, 
and  wrote  to  the  King  of  Prussia  on  the  2d  of  June, 

"  Nothing  would  gratify  me  more  than  to  be  able  to  con- 
tribute with  you  to  the  establishment  of  general  order  and  the 
independence  of  Europe.  But  to  attain  that  end,  I  think  a 
public  declaration  should  be  made  in  favor  of  the  legitimate 
cause  of  the  Bourbons,  by  openly  espousing  their  interests 
which  is  plainly  that  of  all  established  governments.  My 
opinion  upon  this  point  is  fixed  and  unalterable? 


LETTER  XXVIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

April  24,  1807  ;  7  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  12th.  I  see  that  your 
health  is  good  and  that  you  experienced  great  pleasure  in 
going  to  Malmaison.  The  weather  has  become  fine.  I  hope 
that  it  will  continue  so.  There  is  nothing  new  here.  I  am 
very  well.  Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXIX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

May  2,  1807 ;  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  23d.  I  see 
with  pleasure  that  you  are  well,  and  that  you  always  enjoy 
Malmaison.  They  say  that  the  arch-chancellor  is  in  love.  Is 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH.  163 

that  mere  pleasantry  or  is  it  true  ?     It  quite  amuses  me,  but 
you  have  not  said  one  word  about  it. 

I  am  very  well,  and  the  season  has  become  fine.  The  spring 
at  last  shows  itself  and  the  buds  begin  to  swell.  Adieu,  my 
love  ;  my  most  affectionate  regards.  Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXX. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  May  4,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  15th  of  April.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  in  time  M.  Roederer  may  become  all  that  you  say. 
When  a  man  has  accustomed  himself  to  the  management  of 
affairs,  he  despises  theory,  or  uses  it  as  geometers  do,  not  to 
march  in  a  straight  line,  but  to  keep  in  the  same  direction. 
However,  I  believe  in  the  attachment  of  M.  Roederer ;  I  believe 
in  his  honesty  and  in  his  intelligence.  But  his  imagination, 
will  it  ever  become  accustomed  to  the  calm  of  business  ?  This 
can  only  be  proved  by  experience. 

I  think  that  the  habit  of  governing  will,  with  your  good 
sense  and  your  excellent  natural  qualities,  strengthen  your  char- 
acter, and  render  you  capable  of  conducting  this  immense 
machine,  should  it  be  your  destiny  to  live  longer  than  I. 

Prince  Jerome  is  doing  well.  I  am  much  pleased  with 
him,  and  I  am  much  deceived  if  he  has  not  within  him  the 
materials  for  making  a  man  of  the  first  order.  You  may  be 
sure,  however,  that  he  has  no  idea  of  it,  for  all  my  letters  are 
filled  with  complaints.  He  is  adored  in  Silesia.  I  placed 
him  there  purposely  in  a  distant  and  independent  command, 
because  I  do  not  believe  in  the  proverb,  that  it  is  necessary  to 
know  how  to  obey  in  order  to  know  how  to  command. 

I  am  pretty  well  satisfied  with  Louis ;  but  he  has  a  little 
too  much  of  the  spirit  of  charity,  which  is  poorly  allied  with 
the  dignity  of  the  crown.  He  does  not  pay  much  attention 
to  the  advice  which  I  give  him.  Still  I  do  not  cease  giving 


164  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

him  advice,  and  experience  will  ere  long  teach  him  that  many 
things  which  he  has  done  are  wrong. 

I  have  blamed  the  institution  of  bis  order,  not  as  wrong  in 
itself,  but  as  premature ;  for  how  could  he  avoid  giving  it  to 
the  persons  who  surrounded  him  ?  and  how  impress  this  in- 
delible stamp  upon  men  who  were  not  well  known,  and  who, 
at  the  first  reverse,  perhaps,  will  reveal  that  they  are  but 
worthless.  This  remark  is  also  for  you.  You  will  perceive 
its  force.  Wait  till  you  know  something  of  the  men  who  sur- 
round you.  The  desire  to  establish  an  order  must  not  arise 
like  the  wish  to  go  upon  a  hunting-party.  It  must  be  attached 
to  some  memorable  recollection. 

The  time  of  your  coronation  will  be  a  memorable  epoch. 
Then  we  shall  be  at  peace  with  all  Europe.  Louis  has  also 
pst  permitted  the  Dutch  ladies  to  reassume  their  ancient  ti- 
tles ;  his  chamberlains  even  confer  these  titles  upon  them.  I 
am  sorry.  Je  me  suisfache.  I  have  not  been  satisfied  with 
your  example,  which  he  has  quoted  to  me  as  if  there  were  any 
thing  in  common  between  a  kingdom  like  yours,  and  a  repub- 
lic which  has  passed  through  all  the  trials  which  France  has 
endured. 

If  you  have  occasion  to  write  to  him,  say  a  word  to  him 
about  it ;  for,  as  it  is  supposed  that  all  this  is  done  by  my  ad- 
vice, it  has  a  bad  effect  in  France.  As  I  do  not  wish  to  re- 
establish these  ancient  titles  in  France,  I  do  not  wish  to  have 
them  re-established  in  a  country  to  which  I  have  guarantied  a 
constitutional  government,  and  whose  vicissitudes  have  so 
much  resembled  those  of  France.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXXI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

FINCKEXSTEIN,  May  10,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter.     I  do  not  understand  what  you 
tell  me  about  ladies  in  correspondence  with  me.     I  love  none 


NAPOLEON     TO      JOSEPHINE.  165 

but  my  little  Josephine,  good,  pouting,  and  capricious,  who 
knows  how  to  quarrel  with  grace,  as  she  does  every  thing  else ; 
for  she  is  always  amiable,  excepting,  indeed,  when  she  is  jeal- 
ous. Then  she  becomes  truly  diabolic.  Alors  die  dement 
toute  diablesse.  But  let  us  return  to  these  ladies.  If  I  must 
occupy  myself  with  any  one  among  them,  I  should  wish  them 
to  be  beautiful  as  rosebuds.  Those  of  whom  you  speak,  are 
they  so  pretty  ? 

I  desire  that  you  would  never  dine  but  with  those  who  have 
dined  with  me ;  let  your  list  be  the  same  for  your  receptions ; 
never  admit  to  Malmaison,  to  your  intimacy,  embassadors  and 
strangers.  If  you  do  differently  you  will  displease  me.  Do 
not  allow  yourself  to  be  circumvented  by  persons  whom  I  do 
not  know,  and  who  would  not  be  received  by  you  if  I  were 
there.  Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXXIL. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

FIXCKENSTEIX,  May  12,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  2d  of  May,  in  which  I  see 
that  you  are  inclined  to  go  to  St.  Cloud.  I  have  seen  with 

pain  the  bad  conduct  of  Madame .     Could  you  not  speak 

to  her  to  amend  her  life  ?    Such  conduct  must  soon  draw  upon 
her  serious  disagreements  with  her  husband. 

Napoleon  has  recovered,  as  I  am  informed.  I  can  conceive 
all  the  anxiety  which  his  sickness  has  caused  his  mother.  The 
measles  are  a  malady  to  which  every  one  is  subject.  I  hope 
that  he  has  been  vaccinated,  and  that  he  will  at  least  escape  the 
small-pox.  Adieu,  my  love.  The  weather  is  quite  warm,  and 
vegetation  commences.  But  it  will  still  be  some  days  before 
we  shall  have 


On  the  5th  of  May,  1807,  Charles  Napoleon,  prince  royal 
of  Holland,  eldest  sou  of  Louis  Napoleon  and  Hortense,  died 


166  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

at  the  Hague,  five  years  of  age.  He  was  a  child  of  unusual 
promise.  Napoleon  was  exceedingly  attached  to  him,  and 
contemplated  making  him  his  heir.  But  for  the  death  of  this 
child,  the  fatal  divorce  would  probably  never  have  taken  place. 
The  sad  tidings  were  conveyed  to  Napoleon  in  his  cheerless 
encampment  upon  the  Vistula.  It  was  a  terrible  blow  to  his 
hopes  and  his  affections.  He  sat  down  in  silence,  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands,  and  for  some  time  seemed  lost  in  painful 
musings,  while  no  one  ventured  to  disturb  his  grief.  The  be- 
reavement to  Josephine  was  inexpressibly  dreadful.  She  wept 
day  and  night.  Soon  after  receiving  the  intelligence,  she  left 
Paris,  to  condole  with  Hortense.  But  being  taken  sick  by 
the  way,  she  was  compelled  to  stop,  and  wrote  as  follows,  to 
her  daughter. 

LETTER   XXXm. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE,  AT   THE    HAGUE. 

LtrcKBN,1  May  14,  1807;  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  have  arrived  this  moment  at  the  chateau  of  Lucken,  my 
dear  daughter.  It  is  from  there  I  wiite  to  you,  and  there  I 
await  you.  Come,  to  restore  me  to  life.  Your  presence  is 
necessary  to  me ;  and  you  must  also  feel  the  necessity  of  see- 
ing me  that  you  may  weep  with  your  mother.  I  earnestly 
wished  to  proceed  further,  but  my  strength  has  failed  me,  and 
moreover  I  have  not  had  time  to  apprise  the  Emperor.  I  have 
found  strength  to  come  thus  far ;  I  hope  you  also  will  find 
strength  to  come  and  see  your  mother. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  child.  I  am  overwhelmed  with  fatigue, 
and  still  more  so  with  grief. 

JOSEPHINE. 

1  A  palace  near  Brussels.  Hortense  came  there  to  see  her  mother, 
and  returned  with  her  to  Paris.  Hortense,  then,  by  the  direction  of 
her  physicians,  continued  her  journey,  in  bereavement  and  tears,  to  the 
Pyrenees,  leaving  Josephine  gt  St.  Cloud.  On  the  same  day  in  which 
Josephine  arrived  at  Lucken,  the  Emperor  wrote  to  her. 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        167 

LETTER  XXXIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

FINCKENSTEIS,  May  14,  1807. 

I  can  appreciate  the  grief  which  the  death  of  poor  Napo- 
leon has  caused  you.  You  can  understand  the  anguish  which 
I  experience.  I  could  wish  that  I  were  with  you,  that  you 
might  become  moderate  and  discreet  in  your  grief.  You  have 
had  the  happiness  of  never  losing  any  children.  But  it  is  one 
of  the  conditions  and  sorrows  attached  to  suffering  humanity. 
Let  me  hear  that  you  have  become  reasonable  and  tranquil. 
Would  you  magnify  my  anguish  ?  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXXV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  May  16,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  6th  of  May.  I  see  in  it 
already  the  injury  which  you  are  suffering ;  and  I  fear  that 
you  are  not  reasonable,  and  that  you  afflict  yourself  too  much 
from  the  calamity  which  has  befallen  us. 

Adieu,  my  love.     Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XXXVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  May  20,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  May.  I  see  that 
you  have  gone  to  Lucken.  I  think  that  you  may  rest  there  a 
fortnight.  That  will  give  much  pleasure  to  the  Belgians,  and 
will  serve  to  divert  your  mind.  I  see  with  pain  that  you  are 
not  wise.  Grief  has  bounds  which  it  should  not  pass.  Pre- 
serve yourself  for  your  friend,  and  believe  in  all  my  affection. 

NAPOLEON. 


168  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 


LETTER  XXXVII. 

NAPOLEON   TO    HOKTENSE. 

FENCKENSTEIN,  May  20,  1807. 

My  daughter — Every  thing'  which  reaches  me  from  the 
Hague  informs  me  that  you  are  unreasonable.  However  legit- 
imate may  be  your  grief  it  should  have  its  bounds.  Do  not 
impair  your  health.  Seek  consolation.  Know  that  life  is 
strewed  with  so  many  dangers,  and  may  be  the  source  of  so 
many  calamities,  that  death  is  by  no  means  the  greatest  of 
evils.  Your  affectionate  father.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XXXVIH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   LUCKEN. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  May  24,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  from  Lucken.  I  see  with  pain 
that  your  grief  is  still  unabated,  and  that  Hortense  has  not 
yet  arrived.  She  is  unreasonable,  and  does  not  merit  that  one 
should  love  her,  since  she  loves  only  her  children. 

Strive  to  calm  yourself  and  give  me  no  more  pain.  For 
every  irremediable  evil  we  should  find  consolation.  Adieu, 
my  love.  Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XXXIX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    LUCKEN. 

FINCKENSTEIX,  May  26,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  16th,  and  see  with  pleas- 
ure that  Hortense  has  arrived  at  Lucken.  I  am,  indeed, 
grieved  by  what  you  tell  me  of  the  state  of  stupor  in  which 
she  still  continues.  She  should  have  more  fortitude  and 
should  govern  herself.  I  can  not  conceive  why  they  should 


JOSEPHINE  TO  nOKTENSE.          169 

wish  her  to  go  to  the  springs.  Her  attention  would  be  much 
more  diverted  at  Paris,  and  she  would  find  there  more  conso- 
lation. Control  yourself,  be  cheerful,  and  take  care  of  your 
health.  My  health  is  very  good. 

Adieu,  my  love.     I  share  deeply  in  all  your  griefs.     It  is 
painful  to  me  that  I  am  not  with  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XL. 

JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTENSE,    ON    HER    JOURNEY    TO     THE     SOUTH 
OF    FRANCE. 

ST.  CLOUD,  May  27,  1807. 

I  have  wept  much  since  your  departure,  my  dear  Hortense. 
This  separation  has  been  very  painful  to  me.  Nothing  can 
give  me  courage  to  support  it  but  the  certainty  that  the  jour- 
ney will  do  you  good.  I  have  received  tidings  from  you 
through  Madame  Broc.  I  pray  you  to  thank  her  for  that 
attention  and  to  request  her  to  write  to  me  when  you  may  be 
unable  to  write  yourself. 

I  had  also  news,  yesterday,  from  your  son.1  He"  is  at  the 
chateau  of  Lucken^  very  well,  and  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
king.  The  Emperor  has  written  to  me.  He  shares  very 
keenly  in  our  grief.  I  have  need  of  this  consolation,  for  I  have 
had  none  other  since  your  departure.  Always  alone  with  my- 
self, every  moment  dwelling  upon  the  subject  of  our  affliction, 
my  tears  flow  incessantly. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  child.  Preserve  yourself  for  a  mother 
who  loves  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 

The  attack  of  croup  of  which  the  child  died  was  very  vio- 
lent, and  came  to  its  fatal  termination  in  a  few  hours.  The 
devoted  mother  did  not  leave  her  son  for  a  moment.  When 

1  This  allusion  was  to  the  second  son  of  Hortense.     He  subsequent- 
ly died  in  Switzerland.     The  third  and  only  surviving  child,  Louis 
Nupoleon,  now  Emperor  of  France,  was  not  born  until  April  20,  1808. 
8 


170  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

the  little  sufferer  breathed  its  last  the  attendants  endeavored 
to  wile  her  from  the  apartment.  Delirious  with  grief,  she 
clung  to  the  sofa  upon  which  she  was  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
bed  which  contained  the  corpse  of  her  child.  In  a  state  of 
almost  insensibility  she  was  taken  from  the  room  upon  the  sofa. 
Her  anguish  was  so  intense  that  for  many  hours  serious  appre- 
hensions were  felt  for  her  life.  Her  limbs  wefe  rigid  and  not 
a  tear  moistened  her  eyes,  fixed  and  glazed.  At  last  they 
brought  into  the  room  the  lifeless  body  of  her  little  son, 
dressed  for  the  grave,  and  placed  it  in  the  lap  of  the  mother 
paralyzed  by  grief.  Hortense  clasped  the  inanimate  form  to 
her  bosom  and  found  relief  in  sobbings  and  a  flood  of  tears. 

The  anguish  of  Josephine  was,  if  possible,  still  greater  than 
that  of  the  mother.  She  knew  that  the  Emperor  intended  to 
make  the  child  his  heir,  and  in  addition  to  the  anguish  she 
felt  in  the  loss  of  one  she  so  tenderly  loved,  she  had  dreadful 
fears  for  the  consequences.  The  result  proved  that  her  fears 
were  but  too  well  grounded.  But  for  the  death  of  little  Na- 
poleon Charles,  the  fatal  divorce  would  never  have  taken  place. 
Josephine  had  but  just  received  tidings  of  the  child's  sickness, 
when  the  tidings  came  of  its  death.  For  three  days  she 
could  not  leave  her  apartment,  and  did  nothing  but  weep.  She 
placed  before  her  his  portrait  and  gathered  around  her  his 
playthings,  his  hair — every  relic  which  could  revive  the  image 
of  the  dear  departed  child.  An  affecting  incident  added  to 
the  poignancy  of  the  sorrow. 

One  day,  just  before  the  Emperor  set  out  upon  the  campaign 
of  Jena,  he  reviewed  the  guard  in  the  court -yard  of  the  Tuil- 
eries,  and  after  the  review,  entered  the  saloon  of  Josephine. 
Throwing  down  his  hat  and  sword  upon  a  sofa,  he  took  the 
arm  of  the  Empress  and  walked  up  and  down  the  room,  en- 
gaged in  conversation.  Little  Napoleon  Charles  who  was 
with  Josephine,  unobserved,  put  the  sword-belt  over  his  little 
neck  and  the  hat  upon  his  head,  and  began  to  follow  behind 
the  Emperor  with  a  military  step  and  attempting  to  whistle  a 
martial  air.  The  Emperor  turning  round  and  seeing  the  child 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          171 

caught  him  in  his  arms  and  fondly  imprinting  a  kiss  upon  his 
forehead,  said  to  Josephine,  "  What  a  charming  picture  !" 
.  The  Empress  immediately  ordered  a  portrait  to  be  taken  by 
the  celebrated  painter,  Gerard,  of  the  young  Prince  in  that 
costume,  intending  to  send  it  as  a  present  to  the  Emperor. 
Upon  the  very  morning,  and  but  a  few  moments  before 
Josephine  received  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Napoleon 
Charles,  she  had  received  this  portrait  at  St.  Cloud. 

One  anecdote  of  this  child  very  interestingly  shows  that  the 
children  of  the  poor  have  many  enjoyments  from  which  the 
children  of  the  rich  are  deprived. 

On  the  birthday  of  Napoleon  Charles,  Hortense  was  seated 
at  a  window  of  her  palace  at  the  Hague,  which  opened  upon 
the  grand  avenue.  A  heavy  shower  had  fallen  and  pools  of 
water  flooded  the  avenue.  Some  barefooted  children  were 
wading  in  the  p.uddles  and  playing  with  little  chip  boats.  The 
young  Prince,  in  the  magnificent  saloon,  was  surrounded  with 
costly  presents,  which  he  had  just  received  from  his  friends, 
and  particularly  from  his  grandmother  Josephine.  Unmind- 
ful of  his  toys  he  was  earnestly  looking  out  of  the  window. 

"  So  then,  my  son,"  said  Hortense,  "  you  are  not  grateful 
for  grandmamma's  kindness  ?" 

"  O  yes,  mamma,"  the  young  Prince  replied,  "  but  then  she 
is  so  good  I  am  used  to  it.  But  look  at  those  little  boys, 
mamma." 

"  Well,  do  you  wish  for  some  money  to  give  them."* 

"  No ;  papa  gave  me  some  money  this  morning  and  it  is  all 
given  away." 

"  Well,  what  ails  my  dear  child  ?  What  do  you  want  ?" 
"  0,"  said  the  Prince,  hesitatingly,  "  I  know  you  won't  let  me, 
but  if  I  could  run  about  in  that  beautiful  puddle,  it  would 
amuse  me  more  than  even  all  good  gramma 's  presents" 


172  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  XLI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

FINCKENSTEIN,  May  28,  1807. 

My  brother — Address  a  letter  to  the  bishops  of  your  king- 
dom to  order,  throughout  all  your  realm,  prayers  in  thanks- 
giving for  the  success  of  the  French  armies  and  for  the  capture 
of  Dantzic.  You  will  also  publish  in  all  your  newspapers 
the  news  from  Constantinople.  It  is  necessary  to  contradict 
frequently  the  evil  reports  which  the  agents  of  England  and 
Russia  are  pleased  to  disseminate. 


The  memorable  siege  of  Dantzic  had  lasted  for  fifty-one 
days  after  the  opening  of  the  trenches.  The  capitulation  was 
signed  and  executed  on  the  26th  of  May.  The  besieged  gar- 
rison was  nearly  equal  to  the  besieging  army,  and  the  conflict 
was  carried  on  by  both  parties  with  the  utmost  desperation  of 
valor.  More  than  four  thousand  of  the  garrison,  during  the 
siege,  deserted  to  the  French.  During  the  progress  of  this 
siege,  Marshal  Lefebvre,  who  was  in  command,  became  very 
impatient,  and  was  anxious  to  lead  his  troops  to  an  assault 
which  would  have  been  attended  with  great  slaughter,  even 
if  it  had  been  successful.  Napoleon  addressed  to  him  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  containing  strong  language  of  reprimand.  The 
marshal  had  spoken  very  abusively  of  his  allies,  and  contempt- 
uously of  the  science  of  the  engineers,  declaring  that  he  could 
do  more  with  the  breasts  of  his  soldiers,  than  the  engineers 
with  all  their  science,  and  insisting  upon  a  general  assault. 

LETTER   XLII. 

NAPOLEON   TO    MARSHAL   LEFEBVRE. 

You  can  do  nothing  but  find  fault,  abuse  our  allies  and 
change  your  opinion  at  the  pleasure  of  the  first  comer.  You 


NAPOLEON  TO  MARSHAL  LEFEBVBE.    l73 

wanted  troops.  I  sent  them  to  you.  I  am  preparing  more  ; 
for  you,  like  an  ingrate,  continue  to  complain  without  think- 
ing even  of  thanking  me.  You  treat  our  allies,  especially 
the  Poles  and  the  Baden  troops,  without  any  delicacy.  They 
are  not  used  to  fire,  but  they  will  become  accustomed  to  it. 
Do  you  imagine  that  we  were  as  brave  in  '92  as  we  are  now, 
after  fifteen  years  of  war.  Have  some  indulgence  then,  old  sol- 
dier as  you  are,  for  the  young  soldiers  who  are  starting  in  the 
career,  and  have  not  yet  your  coolness  amid  danger. 

The  Prince  of  Baden,  whom  you  have  with  you,  has  chosen 
to  leave  the  pleasures  of  the  court  for  the  purpose  of  leading 
his  troops  into  fire.  Pay  him  respect,  and  give  him  credit  for 
zeal  which  his  equals  rarely  imitate.  The  breasts  of  your 
grenadiers,  which  you  are  for  bringing  in  everywhere,  will  not 
throw  down  walls.  You  must  allow  your  grenadiers  to  act 
and  h'sten  to  the  advice  of  General  Chasseloup,  who  is  a  man 
of  science,  and  from  whom  you  ought  not  to  take  your  confi- 
dence at  the  suggestion  of  the  first  petty  caviler  pretending 
to  judge  of  what  he  is  incapable  of  comprehending. 

Reserve  the  courage  of  your  grenadiers  for  the  moment 
when  science  shall  tell  you  that  it  may  be  usefully  employed, 
and  in  the  mean  time  learn  patience.  It  is  not  worth  while, 
for  the  sake  of  a  few  days,  which  besides  I  know  not  how  to 
employ  just  now,  to  get  some  thousand  men  killed  whose 
lives  it  is  possible  to  spare.  Show  the  calmness,  the  consist- 
ency, the  steadiness  which  befit  your  age.  Your  glory  is  in 
the  taking  of  Dantzic.  Take  that  place  and  you  shall  be  sat- 
isfied with  me. 


CHAPTER   X. 

LETTERS    WRITTEN    IN    1807,    DURING    THE    CAMPAIGN 
OF    FRIEDLAND. 

EARLY  in  May,  Napoleon,  in  preparation  for  the  summer 
campaign,  called  all  his  troops  from  the  villages  in  which  they 
had  been  cantoned,  and  camped  them,  in  divisions,  within 
reach  of  each  other,  behind  good  field-works.  He  thus  guard- 
ed against  surprise,  and  his  army,  maneuvering  every  day,  was 
ready  at  any  moment  for  a  march.  His  whole  force,  extend- 
ing along  a  line  three  hundred  leagues  in  length,  from  the 
Rhine  to  the  Vistula,  consisted  of  four  hundred  thousand  men. 
But  so  many  of  these  were  needed  to  protect  his  rear,  to  keep 
open  his  lines  of  communication,  to  watch  menacing  Austria, 
and  to  hold  conquered  Prussia  quiet,  that  he  had  but  one 
hundred  and  sixty  thousand  men  to  lead  from  his  encamp- 
ments upon  the  Vistula,  to  meet  his  foes.  His  army,  in  admir- 
able discipline,  was  rested,  abundantly  fed,  and  well  clothed. 
His  cavalry,  eighteen  thousand  in  number,  were  all  assembled 
on  the  plain  of  Elbing,  and  for  a  whole  day  maneuvered  before 
the  Emperor,  under  the  command  of  Murat.  The  sight  was 
sufficiently  imposing  even  to  dazzle  the  eyes  of  Napoleon. 

The  campaign  was  opened,  on  the  5th  of  June,  by  an  at- 
tack, at  break  of  day,  by  a  formidable  column  of  the  Russians 
upon  a  portion  of  the  French  lines.  Napoleon  immediately 
put  his  hosts  in  motion,  and  drove  all  opposition  before  him. 
Day  after  day  the  battle  raged,  as  the  Russians  fled,  hotly  pur- 
sued by  the  French.  At  last  the  allies,  on  the  14th,  were) 
driven  into  an  elbow  of  the  river  Alle.  Here,  upon  the  plain 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  1*75 

of  Friedland,  they  were  compelled  to  make  a  stand.  A  decis- 
ive battle  ensued,  and  the  allied  army  was  almost  utterly 
destroyed. 

Napoleon,  after  the  victory,  thus  addressed  his  army  : 

"  Soldiers !  on  the  5th  of  June  we  were  attacked,  in  our 
cantonments,  by  the  Russian  army.  The  enemy  had  mistaken 
the  cause  of  our  inactivity.  He  perceives,  too  late,  that  our 
repose  was  that  of  the  lion.  In  a  campaign  of  ten  days  we 
have  taken  one  hundred  and  twenty  pieces  of  cannon,  seven 
standards,  and  have  killed,  wounded,  or  taken  prisoners,  sixty 
thousand  Russians.  We  have  taken  from  the  enemy  all  its 
magazines,  its  hospitals,  its  ambulances,  the  fortress  of  Konigs- 
burg,  the  three  hundred  vessels  which  were  in  that  port,  laden 
with  all  kinds  of  military  stores,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  muskets,  which  England  was  sending  to  arm  our  en- 
emies. From  the  banks  of  the  Vistula  we  have  come,  with 
the  speed  of  the  eagle,  to  those  of  the  Niemen.  At  Austerlitz 
you  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the  coronation.  At  Fried- 
land  you  have  worthily  celebrated  the  battle  of  Marengo, 
where  we  put  an  end  to  the  Avar  of  the  second  coalition. 

u  Frenchmen !  you  have  been  worthy  of  yourselves,  and  of 
me.  You  will  return  to  France  covered  with  laurels,  having 
obtained  a  glorious  peace,  which  carries  with  it  the  guaranty 
of  its  duration.  It  is  time-  for  $ur  country  to  live  in  repose, 
sheltered  from  the  malignant  influences  of  England.  My 
bounties  shall  prove  to  you  my  gratitude,  and  the  full  extent 
of  the  love  which  I  feel  for  you." 

Alexander  and  Frederic  William  now  condescended  to  im- 
plore peace.  Napoleon,  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  cor- 
diality, met  their  advances.  The  treaty  of  Tilsit  was  the 
result.  The  bitterest  enemies  of  Napoleon  have  admitted  the 
extraordinary  magnanimity  he  extended  to  his  foes,  in  the  con- 
ditions of_this  peace.  The  letters  contained  in  the  present 
chapter  were  written  mostly  during  this  campaign.  His  spirit 
was  still  saddened  by  the  grief  caused  by  the  death  of  the  lit- 
tle Napoleon. 


176  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  I. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

June  2,  1807. 

,  My  love — I  have  learned  of  your  arrival  at  Malmaison  ;  I 
have  received  no  letters  from  you ;  I  am  displeased  with  Hor- 
tense,  she  does  not  write  me  a  word.  Every  thing  which  you 
say  to  me  of  her  gives  me  pain.  Why  is  it  that  you  have  not 
been  able  a  little  to  console  her.  You  weep.  I  hope  that  you 
will  control  your  feelings,  that  I  may  not  find  you  overwhelmed 
with  sadness. 

I  have  been  at  L)antzic  for  two  days,  The  weather  is  very 
fine,  and  I  am  well.  I  think  more  of  you  than  you  can  think 
of  one  who  is  absent.  Adieu,  my  love ;  my  most  affectionate 
remembrance.  Send  the  inclosed  letter  to  Hortense. 

NAPOLEON. 


The  letter  to  Hortense,  to  which  Napoleon  refers,  was  as 
follows : 

LETTER  II. 

NAPOLEON   TO    HORTENSE. 

DAXTZIC,  June  2,  1807. 

My  daughter — You  have  not  written  me  a  word  in  your 
well-founded  and  great  affliction.  You  have  forgotten  every 
thing,  as  if  you  had  no  other  loss  to  endure.  I  am  informed 
that  you  no  longer  love — that  you  are  indifferent  to  every 
thing.  I  perceive  it  by  your  silence.  This  is  not  right,  Hor- 
tense. It  is  not  what  you  promised  to  me.  Your  child  was 
every  thing  to  you !  Your  mother  and  I,  are  we  nothing, 
then?  Had  I  been  at  Malmaison,  I- should  have  shared  your 
anguish,  but  I  should  have  also  wished  that  you  would  restore 
yourself  to  your  best  friends.  Adieu,  my  daughter !  Be 
cheerful.  We  must  learn  resignation.  Cherish  your  health, 


JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTENSE.  1 

that  you  may  be  able  to  fulfill   all  your  duties.     My  wife  is 

very  sad  in  view  of  your  condition.   Do  not  add  to  her  anguish. 

Your  affectionate  father.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   IE. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   ST.  CLOUD. 

June  3,  1807. 

I  have  slept  to-day  at  Maninbourg.  Yesterday  I  left  Dant- 
zic.  My  health  is  very  good.  All  the  letters  which  come  to 
me  from  St.  Cloud  say  that  you  weep  continually.  This  is  not 
right.  It  is  necessary  to  control  one's  self,  and  to  be  content- 
ed. Hortense  is  entirely  wrong.  What  you  write  me  about 
her  is  pitiful.  Adieu,  my  love.  Believe  in  all  the  affection 
with  which  I  cherish  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   IV. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   THE    WATERS    OF    CAUTERETS. 

ST.  CLOUD,  June  4,  1807. 

Your  letter  has  greatly  consoled  me,  my  dear  Hortense,  and 
the  tidings  of  your  health,  which  I  have  received  from  your 
ladies,  contribute  very  much  to  render  me  more  tranquil. 
The  Emperor  has  been  deeply  affected.  In  all  his  letters  he 
seeks  to  give  me  fortitude,  but  I  know  that  this  severe  afflic- 
tion has  been  keenly  felt  by  him. 

The  king1  arrived,  yesterday,  at  St.  Leu.  He  has  sent  me 
word  that  he  would  come  to  see  me  to-day.  He  will  leave 
the  little  one  with  me,  during  his  absence.  You  know  how 
dearly  I  love  that  child,  and  the  solicitude  I  feel  for  him.  I 

1  Louis  Bonaparte,  King  of  Holland,  husband  of  Hortense.  He  was 
in  feeble  health,  having  suffered  from  an  attack  of  paralysis.  He 
brought  with  him  his  second,  and  then  only  surviving  child,  Napoleon 
Louis. 

8* 


178  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

hope  that  the  king  will  follow  the  same  route  which  you  have 
taken.  It  will  be,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  consolation  for  you 
both  to  see  each  other  again. 

All  the  lettets  which  I  have  received  from  him  since  his 
departure  are  full  of  his  attachment  for  you.  Your  heart  is 
too  affectionate  not  to  be  touched  by  this. 

Adieu,  my  dear  child.  Take  care  of  your  health.  Mine 
can  never  be  established  till  I  shall  no  longer  suffer  for  those 
whom  1  love.  I  embrace  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  V. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

June  6,  1807. 

I  am  very  well,  my  love.  Your  letter  of  yesterday  gave 
me  much  pain.  It  appears  that  you  are  continually  sad  and 
that  you  are  not  reasonable.  The  weather  is  very  bad. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  I  love  you  and  desire  to  hear  that 
are  cheerful  and  contented.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   THE   WATERS    OF    CAUTERETS. 

ST.  CLOUD,  June  11,  1807. 

I  inclose  in  this,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  letter  which  the  Em- 
peror has  sent  to  me  for  you,1  and  which  he  charges  me  to 
transmit  to  you.  The  Emperor  is  at  Dantzic.  His  health  is 
perfect.  Marshal  Lefebvre  is  created  Duke  of  Dantzic,  with 
one  hundred  thousand  francs  of  revenue  from  land  in  France. 
Your  son  is  remarkably  well.  He  amuses  me  much ;  he  is  so 
pleasant.  I  find  that  he  has  all  the  endearing  manners  of  the 
poor  child  over  whose  loss  we  weep. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.     I  embrace  you  tenderly. 

1  The  letter  from  the  Emperor  to  Hortense,  here  referred  to,  is  the 
second  letter  in  this  chapter. 


NAPOLEON     TO     JOSEPHINE.  1*79 


LETTER  VII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   THE    WATERS    OF    CAUTERETS. 

ST.  CLOUD, ,  1807. 

Your  letter  has  affected  me  deeply,  my  dear  daughter.  I 
see  how  profound  and  unvarying  is  your  grief,  and  I  perceive 
it  still  more  sensibly  by  the  anguish  which  I  experience  my- 
self. We  have  lost  that  which  in  every  respect  was  the  most 
worthy  to  be  loved ;  my  tears  flow  as  on  the  first  day.  Our 
grief  is  too  well  founded  for  reason  to  be  able  to  cause  it  to 
cease ;  nevertheless,  my  dear  Hortense,  it  should  moderate  it. 

You  are  not  alone  in  the  world.  There  still  remains  to  you 
a  husband,  an  interesting  child,  and  a  mother  whose  tender 
love  you  well  know ;  and  you  have  too  much  sensibility  to 
regard  all  that  with  coldness  and  indifference.  Think  of  us ; 
and  let  that  memory  calm  another,  well  grounded  and  griev- 
ous. I  rely  upon  your  attachment  for  me,  and  upon  the 
strength  of  your  mind.  I  hope  also  that  the  journey  and  the 
waters  will  do  you  good.  Your  son  is  remarkably  well.  He 
is  a  charming  child.  My  health  is  a  little  better,  but  you 
know  that  it  depends  upon  yours. 

Adieu.    I  embrace  you.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

FRIEDLAND,  June  15,  1807. 

My  love — I  can  write  you  but  a  word,  for  I  am  very  much 
fatigued.  For  many  days  I  have  bivouacked.  My  children 
have  worthily  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Marengo. 

The  battle  of  Friedland  will  be  equally  celebrated,  and  is 
as  glorious  for  my  people.  All  the  Russian  army  put  to  rout ; 
eighty  pieces  of  cannon,  thirty  thousand  men  killed  or  taken 


180  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

prisoners;  twenty-five  Russian  generals  slain,  wounded  or 
captured  ;  the  Russian  guard  trampled  down — it  is  a  worthy 
sister  of  Marengo,  Austerlitz,  Jena.  The  bulletin  will  tell 
you  the  rest.  My  loss  is  not  great.  I  maneuvered  the  enemy 
with  success. 

Have  no  anxiety,  and  be  contented.  Adieu,  my  love ;  I 
mount  my  horse.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  This  news  may  be  communicated  as  intelligence, 
should  this  letter  arrive  before  the  bulletin.  The  cannon  also 
may  be  fired.  Cambaceres  will  give  the  notice. 


LETTER  IX: 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

June  16,  1807  ;  4  o'clock,  p.  M. 

My  love — yesterday  I  dispatched  Moustache  to  you  with 
the  news  of  the  battle  of  Friedland.  Since,  I  have  continued 
to  pursue  the  enemy.  Konigsberg,  which  is  a  city  of  eighty 
thousand  souls,  is  in  my  power.  I  have  found  many  cannons, 
abundance  of  military  stores,  and  more  than  sixty  thousand 
muskets  which  had  been  sent  from  England. 

Adieu,  my  love;  my  health  is  perfect,  though  I  have  a 
slight  cold  from  the  rain  and  the  cold  of  the  bivouac.  Be 
content  and  cheerful.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   X. 

NAPOLEON    TO    HOHTENSE. 

June  16,  1307. 

My  daughter — I  have  received  your  letter  dated  Orleans. 
Your  griefs  touch  my  heart ;  but  I  could  wish  that  you  would 
summon  more  fortitude.  To  live  is  to  surfer ;  and  the  sincere 
man  struggles  incessantly  to  retain  the  mastery  over  himself. 
I  do  not  love  to  see  you  unjust  toward  the  little  Napoleon 
Louis,  and  toward  all  your  friends.  Your  mother  and  I  had 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         181 

cherished  the  hope  of  being  more  than  we  are  in  your  heart. 
I  have  gained  a  great  victory  on  the  14th  of  June.  I  am 
well,  and  love  you  very  much. 

Adieu,  my  daughter.     I  embrace  vou  Avith  my  whole  heart. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XL 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

TILSIT,  June  19,  1807. 

I  have  this  morning  dispatched  Tascher  to  you  to  relieve 
you  from  all  inquietudes.  Every  thing  here  is  prosperous. 
The  battle  of  Friedlaud  has  decided  every  thing.  The  enemy 
is  confounded,  humbled,  and  thoroughly  enfeebled.  My  health 
is  good  and  my  army  is  superb. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  be  cheerful  and  contented.     NAPOLEON. 


LETTER    XII. 

NAPOLEON    TO   JOSEPH. 

TILSIT,  June  20,  1807. 

My  brother — I  am  on  the  Niemen.  The  battle  of  Fried- 
land,  which  was  fought  on  the  anniversary  of  that  of  Marengo, 
has  decided  the  contest.  The  Russian  army  has  been  de- 
stroyed. You  will  doubtless  have  received  already  the  bulle- 
tins. I  presume  that  you  will  have  a  Te  Deum  throughout 
your  kingdom  for  so  happy  au  event.  This  battle  has  been 
as  decisive  as  those  of  Marengo,  of  Austerlitz,  and  of  Jena. 


LETTER  XIH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

TILSIT,  June  22,  1807. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  June. 
I  see  with  pain  that  you  are  so  sad.     You  will  see  by  the  bul- 


182  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

letin'that  I  have  concluded  a  suspension  of  arms,  and  that  we 
are  negotiating  for  peace.  Be  contented  and  cheerful. 

I  have  sent  to  you  Borghese,  and  twelve  hours  later,  Mous- 
tache. You  must  thus,  at  an  early  hour,  have  received  my 
letters,  and  news  of  the  fine  day  of  Friedland.  I  am  remark- 
ably well,  and  desire  to  hear  that  you  are  happy. 

Entirelv  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

June  25,  1807. 

My  love — I  have  just  come  from  an  interview  with  the  Em- 
peror Alexander.  He  is  a  very  handsome,  amiable,  and  youth- 
ful emperor.  He  has  more  ability  than  is  generally  supposed. 
To-morrow  he  takes  his  lodgings  in  the  city  of  Tilsit. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  earnestly  desire  that  you  may  be  well 
and  contented.  My  health  is  very  good.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XV. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

TILSIT,  June  27,  1807. 

My  brother — I  have  concluded  an  armistice  with  the  Em- 
peror of  Russia.  He  orders  his  flag  to  cease  all  hostilities 
against  the  French  flag,  or  the  flags  of  Italy  and  Naples.  My 
desire  is,  that  if  any  Russian  ships  enter  your  ports  and  apply 
for  refreshments,  that  you  should  furnish  them  with  every 
thing,  either  in  return  for  payment,  or  else  keeping  an  account 
of  the  value.  I  have  instructed  Prince  Eugene  to  give  you 
the  detail  of  all  that  has  transpired  here  for  the  last  few  days. 
Make  known  at  Corfu  the  orders  which  the  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia has  given  to  his  admiral,  and  all  that  has  happened. 


KAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.  183 

LETTER  XVI. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS   AT    ST. .  CLOUD. 

July  3,  1807. 

My  love — M.  de  Turenne  will  give  you  all  the  details  of 
every  thing  which  is  passing  here.  All  things  are  prosperous. 
I  think  that  I  have  mentioned  to  you  that  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander drinks  your  health  with  much  amiability.  He  dines, 
and  also  the  King  of  Prussia,  every  day  with  me.  I  desire 
that  you  may  be  contented.  Adieu,  my  love.  My  most  affec- 
tionate remembrance.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

July  6,  1807. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  25th  of  June.  I  see  with 
pain  that  you  are  selfish,  and  that  the  success  of  my  arms  has 
no  attractions  for  you. 

The  beautiful  Queen  of  Prussia  is  to  come  and  dine  with  me 
to-day.  I  am  well,  and  most  earnestly  desire  to  see  you,  when 
destiny  shall  appoint  the  hour.  It  is  not  impossible  that  that 
may  be  soon. 

Adieu,  my  love.     My  most  affectionate  remembrance. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVin. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

July  7,  1807. 

My  love — the  Queen  of  Prussia  dined  with  me  yesterday.  I 
had  to  defend  myself  from  the  attempts  she  made  to  oblige  me 
to  concede  still  more  to  her  husband.  Though  I  was  polite,  I 
held  myself  firm  to  my  political  views.  She  is  very  amiable. 


184  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  would  give  you  the  details,  but  it  is  impossible,  it  would  take 
so  much  time.  When  you  read  this  letter,  peace  with  Prus- 
sia and  Russia  will  be  concluded,  and  Jerome  will  be  recog- 
nized as  King  of  Westphalia,  with  a  population  of  three  mil- 
lions. This  news  is  for  you  alone. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  love  you,  and  wish  to  hear  that  you  are 
contented  and  cheerful.  NAPOLEON. 

The  Queen  of  Prussia  was  a  remarkably  beautiful  woman, 
of  very  fascinating  manners,  not  more  than  thirty-two  years 
of  age.  Napoleon  subsequently  said  of  her : 

"  The  Queen  of  Prussia  unquestionably  possessed  talents, 
great  information,  and  singular  acquaintance  with  affairs.  She 
was  the  real  sovereign  for  fifteen  years.  In  truth,  in  spite  of 
my  address  and  utmost  efforts,  she  constantly  led  the  conver- 
sation, returned  at  pleasure  to  her  subject,  and  directed  it  as 
she  chose — but  still  with  so  much  tact  and  delicacy  that  it 
was  impossible  to  take  offense. 

"  Had  the  Queen  of  Prussia  arrived  earlier  at  our  conferences, 
it  might  have  had  much  influence  upon  the  result  of  our  nego- 
tiations. But  happily  she  did  not  make  her  appearance  till  all 
was  settled.  As  soon  as  she  arrived  I  went  to  pay  her  a  visit. 
She  was  very  beautiful,  somewhat  past  the  first  flower  of  youth. 
After  all,  a  fine  woman  and  gallantry  are  not  to  be  weighed 
against  affairs  of  state." 

The  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  Tilsit  took  place  on  the  8th 
of  July.  The  next  day  the  two  Emperors  parted.  Napoleon 
and  Alexander,  side  by  side,  on  horseback,  and  engaged  in  the 
most  friendly  conversation,  passed  the  rounds,  everywhere 
greeted  with  the  most  enthusiastic  acclamations.  At  the 
banks  of  the  Niemen  they  embraced  for  the  last  time,  and 
Alexander  entered  a  boat  to  cross  the  stream.  Napoleon  re- 
mained upon  the  bank  until  his  friend  had  reached  the  oppo- 
site shore.  He  then  retired,  and  immediately  •  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  long  march  of  his  troops  back  to  France. 

Napoleon,  in  the  treaty  of  Tilsit,  manifested   moderation 


JOSEPHINE     TO     HORTENSE.  185 

which  excited  the  surprise  of  Europe.  He  did  nothing  directly 
to  aggrandize  France.  He  only  endeavored  to  establish 
friendly  governments  which  would  aid  in  protecting  France 
from  future  attacks.  He  immediately  appointed  Savary  as 
his  minister  at  the  court  of  St.  Petersburg,  and  said  to  him, 

"I  have  concluded  peace.  I  am  told  that  I  have  done 
wrong,  and  that  I  shall  find  myself  deceived.  But  truly  we 
have  had  war  enough.  It  is  time  that  the  world  should  enjoy 
repose.  I  wish  to  send  you  to  St.  Petersburg,  until  I  make 
choice  of  an  embassador.  I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  Alex- 
ander, which  will  serve  as  your  credentials.  You  will  manage 
the  business  for  me.  Recollect  that  I  do  not  wish  to  go  to 
war  with  any  power  whatever.  Let  this  principle  be  the 
guide  of  your  conduct.  I  shall  be  much  displeased  if  you  do 
not  avoid  drawing  me  into  fresh  difficulties.  In  your  conver- 
sation, carefully  avoid  any  thing  that  may  be  offensive.  For 
instance,  never  speak  of  war.  Do  not  condemn  any  custom, 
or  comment  upon  any  absurdity.  Every  nation  has  its  pecu- 
liarities. It  is  too  much  the  habit  of  the  French  to  compare 
all  customs  with  their  own,  and  to  set  themselves  up  as  mod- 
els. You  know  how  I  have  been  deceived  by  the  Austrians 
and  Prussians.  I  place  confidence  in  the  Emperor  of  Russia." 


LETTER  XIX. 

JOSEPHINE   TO   HORTENSE    AT   THE    WATERS    OF    CAUTERETS. 

ST.  CLOUD,  July  10,  1807. 

I  receive  frequently,  my  dear  Hortense,  news  from  the  Em- 
peror. He  speaks  much  of  the  Emperor  Alexander,  with 
whom  he  appears  to  be  very  well  satisfied.  He  has  sent  to 
me,  M.  Monaco,  and  M.  de  Montesquieu,  to  give  me  the  details 
of  what  they  have  seen. 

These  gentlemen  relate  that  the  first  interview  was  a  mag- 
nificent spectacle.  The  two  armies  were,  one  upon  the  right, 
and  the  other  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  Niemen.  The  Ein- 


186  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

peror  arrived  the  first  at  a  pavilion  constructed  in  the  middle 
of  the  river.  The  boat  of  the  Emperor  Alexander  had  some 
difficulty  in  approaching  it,  Avhich  furnished  occasion  for  some 
very  agreeable  words  from  'Alexander  upon  his  eagerness  being 
poorly  seconded  by  the  stream. 

They  say  that,  at  the  moment  in  which  the  two  Emperors 
embraced,  universal  acclamations  ascended  from  both  sides  of 
the  river.  That  which  increases  still  more  for  me  the  inter- 
est of  these  happy  tidings,  is  the  hope  which  I  have  of  soon 
seeing  the  Emperor  again.  Why,  my  dear  Hortense,  is  this 
happiness  marred  by  memories  so  sad,  which  can  never  be 
effaced.  Your  little  son  is  perfectly  well.  I  hope  that  the 
waters  will  do  you  and  the  king  much  good.  Remember  me 
to  him ;  and  believe,  my  dear  daughter,  in  all  the  tender  affec- 
tion of  your  mother.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XX. 

NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH. 

KONIGSBERG,  July  12,  1801. 

My  brother — I  see,  in  the  French  papers,  some  letters  of  King 
Ferdinand,  which  have  probably  been  taken  fiom  the  Neapoli- 
tan newspapers.  What  is  the  object  of  this  ?  Who  can  find 
fault  that  King  Ferdinand  defends  his  throne  in  every  possible 
way  ?  Why  then  print  these  insignificant  letters  ?  It  is  your 
policy,  on  the  contrary,  never  to  speak  of  them.  These  dis- 
embarkations and  incursions  of  the  banditti,  which  are  very 
trivial  matters,  are  improperly  exaggerated.  Your  ministers 
are  always  cracking  their  whips.  They  ought,  on  the  con- 
trary, to  make  as  little  as  possible  of  these  disturbances,  and 
represent  them  to  the  public  as  really  less  than  they  actually 
are.  The  inference  naturally  drawn,  is,  that  the  kingdom  of 
Naples  is  a  prey  to  every  species  of  depredation,  and  that  is 
not  true.  The  maladroitness  of  your  police  creates  the  im- 
pression. The  strife  of  different  parties  produces  the  same 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          187 

effect.  It  was  thus  in  France  during  the  Revolution.  It  was' 
one  party  which  pushed  another  to  extremities.  But  such  is 
not  the  situation  of  your  realm. 


LETTER  XXI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

DRESDEN,  July  18,  1807. 

My  brother — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  6th  of  June. 
If  you  send  Neapolitan  troops  into  Italy  they  must  be  paid  by 
you,  as  the  troops  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  which 
are  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  are  paid  by  Italy.  I  greatly 
fear  that  your  finances  will  be  damaged  by  theories  and  spec- 
ulations. Every  thing  which  I  hear  from  Naples  announces 
this.  The  lapse  of  many  years,  and  men  of  experience  are 
necessary  to  effect  changes  in  the  finances  of  a  state ;  and 
yet  I  see  that  at  the  commencement  of  a  reign,  and  during 
war,  changes  are  made  in  the  mode  of  collecting  the  revenue. 
I  look  upon  men  of  learning  and  brilliancy  as  I  do  upon  co- 
quettes. They  are  very  well  to  live  and  converse  with,  but  we 
should  no  more  think  of  taking  the  latter  for  our  wives  than 
the  former  for  our  ministers. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

July  18,  1801. 

My  love — I  arrived  yesterday,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, at  Dresden,  in  very  good  health,  although  I  have  been  a 
hundred  hours  in  the  carriage  without  leaving  it.  I  am  here 
at  the  house  of  the  King  of  Saxony,  with  whom  I  am  very 
much  pleased.  I  have  thus  approached  you  by  more  than 
one  half  of  the  journey.  It  is  possible  that  one  of  these  fine 


188  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

nights  I  may  fall  upon  St.  Cloud  like  a  jealous  husband,  and 
I  forewarn  you  of  it. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  seeing  you. 
Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  July,  Napo- 
leon entered  Paris.  Even  enthusiasm  became  enthusiastic  in 
greeting.  He  tarried  not  a  moment,  however,  to  receive  these 
acclamations,  but  hastened  to  St.  Cloud,  where  Josephine  was 
awaiting  him. 

The  same  morning  he  assembled  his  cabinet  ministers  in 
council.  He  had  said  to  them  before  he  left  Paris,  to  enter 
upon  these  extraordinary  achievements, 

"  I  am  innocent  of  this  war.  I  have  done  nothing  to  pro- 
voke it.  It  did  not  enter  into  my  calculations.  Let  me  be 
defeated  if  it  be  of  my  own  seeking.  One  of  the  principal 
reasons  of  the  assurance  I  feel  that  my  enemies  will  be  de- 
stroyed, is  that  I  view  in  their  conduct  the  finger  of  Provi- 
dence, who,  willing  that  the  guilty  should  be  punished,  has 
set  wisdom  so  far  aside  in  their  councils,  that  when  they  intend 
to  attack  me  in  the  moment  of  weakness,  they  select  the 
very  instant  when  I  was  stronger  than  ever." 


CHAPTER   XI. 

LETTERS  DURING  NOVEMBER  AND  DECEMBER  OP  1807. 

FRANCE  was  now  at  peace  with  all  the  world,  England  ex- 
cepted.  The  British  government  still  unrelentingly  refused  to 
listen  to  any  terms  of  accommodation,  and,  with  her  vast  fleet, 
utterly  annihilated  French  commerce,  and  assailed  France 
wherever  a  vulnerable  point  could  be  found.  Arrogantly  the 
British  government  boasted  that  England  was  mistress  of  the 
seas.  It  was  no  idle  boast.  Not  a  ship  could  float  upon  any 
ocean  but  by  the  permission  of  Great  Britain.  Napoleon,  in 
order  to  compel  England  to  allow  the  world  repose  from  the 
ravages  of  war,  endeavored  to  unite  the  whole  continent  in  a 
league  to  refuse  to  have  any  mercantile  transactions  with  such 
a  quarrelsome  people.  By  this  bloodless  measure  he  hoped 
to  compel  the  British  government  to  sheath  the  sword.  The 
following  letter  to  his  brother  Louis,  King  of  Holland,  exhibits 
his  political  views  at  this  time. 

LETTER  I. 

NAPOLEON    TO    LOUIS    BONAPARTE. 

It  is  not  to  the  present  alone  that  sovereigns  should  accom- 
modate their  policy.  The  future  must  also  be  the  object  of 
their  consideration.  What  is,  at  this  moment,  the  situation 
of  Europe  ?  On  one  side  England,  who  possesses  by  her  sole 
exertions  a  dominion  to  which  the  whole  world  has  hitherto 
been  compelled  to  submit.  On  the  other  hand  the  French 
empire  and  the  continental  states,  which,  strengthened  by  the 


190  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

union  of  their  powers,  can  not  acquiesce  in  this  supremacy 
exercised  by  England.  Those  states  had  also  their  colonies 
and  a  maritime  trade.  They  possess  an  extent  of  coast  much 
greater  than  England ;  but  they  have  become  disunited  and 
England  has  attacked  the  naval  power  of  each  separately. 
England  has  triumphed  on  every  sea,  and  all  navies  have  been 
destroyed.  Russia,  Sweden,  France,  and  Spain,  which  possess 
such  ample  means  for  having  ships  and  sailors,  dare  not  ven- 
ture to  send  a  squadron  out  of  their  ports. 

I  wish  for  peace.  I  wish  to  obtain  it  by  every  means  com- 
patible with  the  dignity  of  the  power  of  France — at  the  ex- 
pense of  every  sacrifice  which  our  national  honor  can  allow. 
Every  day  I  feel  more  and  more  that  peace  is  necessary.  The 
sovereigns  of  the  continent  are  as  anxious  for  peace  as  I  am. 
I  have  no  passionate  prejudice  against  England.  I  bear  her 
no  insurmountable  hatred.  She  has  followed  against  me  a 
system  of  repulsion.  I  have  adopted  against  her  the  conti- 
nental system,  not  so  much  from  a  jealousy  of  ambition,  as 
my  friends  suppose,  but  in  order  to  reduce  England  to  the 
necessity  of  adjusting  our  differences.  Let  England  be  rich 
and  prosperous.  It  is  no  concern  of  mine,  provided  France 
and  her  allies  enjoy  the  same  advantages. 

The  continental  system  has,  therefore,  no  other  object  than 
to  advance  the  moment  when  the  public  rights  of  Europe  and 
of  the  French  empire  will  be  definitely  established.  The 
sovereigns  of  the  north  observe  and  enforce  strictly  the  sys- 
tem of  prohibition,  and  their  trade  has  been  greatly  benefitted 
by  it.  The  manufactures  of  Prussia  may  now  compete  with 
ours.  You  are  aware  that  France,  and  the  whole  extent  of 
coasts,  which  now  form  part  of  the  empire,  from  the  Gulf  of 
Lyons  to  the  extremity  of  the  Adriatic,  are  strictly  closed 
against  the  produce  of  foreign  industry.  I  am  about  to  adopt 
a  measure,  with  respect  to  the  affairs  of  Spain,  the  result  of 
which  will  be  to  wrest  Portugal  from  England,  and  subject 
all  the  coasts  of  Spain  on  both  seas,  to  the  influence  of  the 
policy  of  France.  The  coasts  of  the  whole  of  Europe  will 


NAPOLEON  TO  LOUIS  BONAPARTE.     191 

then  be  closed  against  England,  with  the  exception  of  those 
of  Turkey,  which  I  .do  not  "care  about,  as  the  Turks  do  not 
trade  with  Europe. 

Do  you  not  perceive,  from  this  statement,  the  fatal  conse- 
quences that  would  result  from  the  facilities  given  by  Holland 
to  the  English  for  the  introduction  of  their  goods  on  the  con- 
tinent ?  They  would  enable  England  to  levy  upon  us  the 
subsidies  which  she  would  afterward  offer  to  other  powers  to 
fight  against  us.  Your  Majesty  is  as  much  interested  as  I  am, 
to  guard  against  the  crafty  policy  of  the  English  cabinet.  A 
few  years  more,  and  England  will  wish  for  peace  as  much  as 
we  do.  Observe  the  situation  of  your  kingdom,  and  you  will 
see  that  the  system  I  allude  to  is  more  useful  to  yourself  than 
it  is  to  me.  Holland  is  a  maritime  and  a  commercial  power. 
She  possesses  fine  sea-ports,  fleets,  sailors,  skillful  commanders, 
and  colonies  which  do  not  cost  any  thing  to  the  mother  coun- 
try. Her  inhabitants  understand  trade  as  well  as  the  English. 
Has  not  Holland,  therefore,  an  interest  in  defending  all  these 
advantages  ?  May  not  peace  restore  her  to  the  position  she 
formerly  held  ?  Granted  that  her  situation  may  be  painful 
for  a  few  years ;  but  is  not  this  preferable  to  making  the  King 
of  Holland  a  mere  governor  for  England,  and  Holland  and 
her  colonies  a  vassal  of  Great  Britain  ?  Yet  the  protection 
which  you  would  afford  to  English  commerce  would  lead  to 
that  result.  The  examples  of  Sicily  and  Portugal  are  still 
before  your  eyes. 

Await  the  result  of  the  progress  of  time.  You  want  to  sell 
your  gins,  and  England  wants  to  buy  them.  Point  out  the 
place  where  the  English  smugglers  may  come  and  fetch  them ; 
but  let  them  pay  for  them  in  money,  and  never  in  goods — 
positively  never !  Peace  must  at  last  be  made.  You  will 
then  make  a  treaty  of  com,merce  with  England.  I  may  per- 
haps also  make  one  with  her,  but  in  which  our  mutual  inter- 
ests shall  be  reciprocally  guarantied.  If  we  must  allow 
England  to  exercise  a  kind  of  supremacy  on  the  sea— a  suprem- 
acy which  she  will  have  purchased  at  the  expense  of  her 


192  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

treasure  and  of  her  blood,  and  which  is  the*  natural  conse- 
quence of  her  geographical  position — of  her  possessions  in 
the  three  other  quarters  of  the  globe — at  least  our  flags  will 
be  at  liberty  to  appear  on  the  ocean  without  being  exposed  to 
insult,  and  our  maritime  trade  will  cease  to  be  ruinous.  For 
the  present  we  must  direct  our  efforts  toward  preventing  En- 
gland from  interfering  in  the  affairs  of  the  continent. 

NAPOLEON. 


Napoleon  devoted  his  attention,  with  unabated  zeal  to  the 
internal  improvement  of  France.  "His  attention,"  says  the 
"Encyclopaedia  Americana,"  "to  this  subject  appears  from 
many  documents,  and  is  strikingly  shown  in  the  following  let- 
ter. It  shows  his  large,  penetrating  prospective  views,  and 
constant  reference  to  posterity  and  to  their  opinions ;  the  lofty 
spirit  in  which  he  undertook  labors  of  practical  utility,  the 
blended  familiarity  and  elevation  of  tone  with  which  he  ad- 
dressed his  ministers ;  the  impulse  which  he  gave  to  his  gov- 
ernment by  the  paths  which  he  traced  out  for  others  to  follow, 
and  its  practical  spirit.  As  it  was  not  written  for  publication 
it  will  not  be  charged  with  deception." 

LETTER  II. 

NAPOLEON    TO    MONSIEUR    CRETET,   MINISTER    OF    THE    INTERIOR. 

FONTAINEBLEAU,  November  14,  1807. 

You  have  received  the  imperial  decree  by  which  I  have 
authorized  the  sinking  fund  to  lend  eight  million  francs  to 
the  city  of  Paris.  I  suppose  that  you  are  employed  in  taking 
measures  which  may  bring  these  works  to  a  speedy  conclusion, 
and  may  augment  the  revenues  of  the  city.  In  these  works 
there  are  some  which  will  not  be  very  productive,  but  are 
merely  for  ornament.  There  are  others,  such  as  the  galleries 
over  the  markets,  the  slaughter-houses,  etc.,  which  will  be 
very  productive,  but  to  make  them  so  will  require  activity. 


NAPOLEON    TO     MONSIEUR     CRETET.  193 

The  shops,  for  which  I  have  granted  you  funds,  are  not  yet 
commenced.  I  suppose  you  have  taken  up  the  funds  destined 
for  the  fountains  and  that  you  have  employed  them  provision- 
ally for  the  machine  at  Marly.  Carry  on  the  whole  with 
spirit.  This  system  of  advancing  money  to  the  city  of  Paris, 
to  augment  its  branches  of  revenue  is  also  intended  to  con- 
tribute to  its  embellishment.  My  intention  is  to  extend  it  to 
other  departments. 

I  have  many  canals  to  make ;  that  from  Dijon  to  Paris ; 
that  from  the  Rhine  to  the  Saonne ;  that  from  the  Rhine  to 
the  Scheldt.  These  three  canals  can  be  carried  on  as  vigor- 
ously as  could  be  wished.  My  intention  is,  independently  of 
the  funds  which  are  granted  from  the  revenues  of  the  State, 
to  seek  extraordinary  funds  for  the  three  canals.  For  this 
purpose  I  should  like  to  sell  the  canal  of  St.  Quentin,  the 
produce  of  which  might  be  employed  to  expedite  the  works 
of  the  canal  of  Burgundy.  In  fact,  I  would  sell  even  the 
canal  of  Languedoc  and  apply  the  proceeds  to  the  construc- 
tion of  the  canal  from  the  Rhine  to  the  Saonne.  I  suppose 
that  the  canal  of  St.  Quentin  might  be  sold  for  eight  million 
francs ;  that  of  Loing  for  as  much,  and  the  canal  of  Langue- 
doc for  more.  There  would  then  be  thirty  millions  procured 
immediately,  which  I  should  employ  in  carrying  on  the  three 
great  canals  with  all  possible  rapidity. 

I  have  the  money.  The  State  will  lose  nothing.  On  the 
contrary  it  will  gain,  since,  if  it  loses  the  revenues  of  the  ca- 
nals of  Loing,  St.  Quentin,  and  that  of  the  south,  it  will  gain 
the  products  of  the  canals  of  the  Scheldt,  Napoleon,  and  Bur- 
gundy ;  and,  when  these  works  are  completed,  if  circumstances 
permit,  I  shall  sell  these,  in  order  to  make  others.  Thus,  my 
object  is,  to  pursue  a  directly  opposite  course  to  England,  or 
to  what  is  proposed  to  be  done  there.  In  England,  a  charter 
would  have  been  granted  for  constructing  the  canal  of  St. 
Quentin,  and  the  work  would  have  been  left  to  the  capitalists. 
I  have,  on  the  contrary,  begun  by  constructing  the  canal  of 
St.  Quentin.  It  has  cost,  I  believe,  eight  million  francs ;  it  will 


194  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

produce  five  hundred  thousand  francs.  I  shall  then  lose  noth- 
ing by  selling  it  to  a  company  for  what  it  has  cost  me,  since, 
with  this  money  I  shall  construct  other  canals.  Make  me,  I 
beg  of  you,  a  report  upon  this  subject,  otherwise  we  shall  die 
without  seeing  these  three  canals  navigated.  In  fact,  it  is  six 
years  since  the  canal  of  St.  Quentin  was  begun,  and  it  is  not 
yet  finished.  Now  these  canals  are  of  much  more  importance. 
The  expense  of  that  of  Burgundy  is  estimated  at  thirty  millions. 

What  can  be  expended  from  the  general  funds  of  the  State, 
does  not  exceed  a  million  yearly.  The  departments  do  not 
furnish  more  than  five  hundred  thousand  francs.  It  would 
then  require  twenty  years  to  finish  this  canal.  What  may  not 
happen  in  this  time  ?  Wars,  and  inefficient  men  will  come, 
and  the  canals  will  remain  unfinished.  The  canal  from  the 
Rhine  to  the  Scheldt  will  also  cost  a  large  sum.  The  general 
funds  of  the  State  are  not  sufficient  to  carry  them  on  as  quickly 
as  we  could  wish.  The  canal  of  Napoleon  is  in  the  same  situ- 
ation. Let  me  know  how  much  it  would  be  possible  to  expend 
yearly  on  each  of  these  three  canals.  I  suppose,  that  without 
injuring  other  works,  we  might  allow  to  each  three  or  four  mil- 
lions, and  that  thus,  in  five  or  six  years,  we  might  see  them  all 
navigated. 

You  will  inform  me  how  much  the  existing  imposts  will 
furnish  for  these  three  canals,  and  how  much  I  have  granted 
for  1808,  and  the  supplementary  which  I  granted  for  1806, 
for  carrying  on  these  works  with  the  greatest  activity.  You 
will  propose  to  me  to  sell  the  three  canals  already  finished, 
and  at  what  price  it  would  be  best  to  sell  them — I  take  upon 
myself  the  charge  of  finding  purchasers — then  we  shall  have 
money  in  abundance.  You  must  tell  me,  in  your  report,  how 
much  the  three  which  I  wish  speedily  to  finish,  are  estimated 
to  cost,  and  compare  it  with  the  sum  which  the  three  old  ca- 
nals have  cost,  that  I  wish  to  sell. 

You  understand  what  I  wish.  My  intention  is  to  go  beyond 
your  report.  Perhaps  it  will  lead  to  opening  a  fund  for  public 
works,  into  which  the  proceeds  of  the  navigation  of  the  canals 


NAPOLEON    TO     MONSIEUR    CRETET.  195 

would  be  immediately  thrown.  We  might  thus  grant  to  this 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  three  Canals,  and  of  others  be- 
sides, if  there  are  any  which  can  be  sold.  With  this  institu- 
tion we  should  change  the  face  of  the  country. 

I  have  made  the  glory  of  my  reign  to  consist  in  changing 
the  face  of  the  territory  of  my  empire.  The  execution  of  these 
great  works  is  as  necessary  to  the  interests  of  my  people  as  to 
my  own  satisfaction.  I  attach  equal  importance  and  great 
glory  to  the  suppression  of  mendicity.  Funds  are  not  wanting, 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  the  work  proceeds  slowly,  and,  mean- 
time, years  are  passing  away.  We  must  not  pass  through  thii 
world  without  leaving  traces  which  may  commend  our  memory 
to  posterity. 

I  am  going  to  be  absent  for  a  month.  Be  ready,  on  the 
15th  of  December,  to  answer  all  these  questions,  which  you 
will  have  examined  in  detail,  that  I,may  be  able,  by  a  general 
decree,  to  put  the  finishing  blow  to  mendicity.  You  must 
find,  before  the  15th  of  December,  in  the  reserve  fund,  and  the 
funds  of  the  communes,  the  necessary  means  for  the  support 
of  sixty  or  one  hundred  houses  for  the  extirpation  of  beggary. 
The  places  where  they  shall  be  erected  must  be  designated, 
and  the  regulations  completed.  Do  not  ask  me  for  three  or 
four  months  to  obtain  further  instruction.  You  have  young 
auditors,  intelligent  prefects,  skillful  engineers — bring  all  into 
action,  and  do  not  sleep  in  the  ordinary  labors  of  the  bureau. 
It  is  necessary,  likewise,  that  at  the  same  time,  all  that  relates 
to  the  administration  of  the  public  works  should  be  completed, 
so  that  at  the  commencement  of  the  fine  season,  France  may 
present  the  spectacle  of  a  country  without  a  single  beggar,  and 
where  all  the  population  may  be  in  action  to  embellish  and 
render  productive  our  immense  territory. 

You  must  also  prepare  for  me  all  that  is  necessary  respect- 
ing measures  to  be  taken  for  draining  of  the  marshes  of  Cot- 
tentin  and  Rochefort,  money  for  supporting  the  fund  for  public 
works,  and  for  finishing  the  draining  or  preparing  others. 

The  winter  evenings  are  long.     Fill  your  portfolios,  that  we 


196  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

may  be  able,  during  the  evenings  of  these  three  months,  to 
discuss  the  means  for  attaining  great  results.  Upon  this  may 
God  have  you  in  His  holy  keeping.  NAPOLEON. 


On  the  16th  of  November  Napoleon  left  Paris,  to  take  a 
rapid  tour  through  Italy,  visiting  Eugene  and  Joseph.  Joseph- 
ine accompanied  the  Emperor  a  short  distance,  but  as  the  jour- 
ney was  to  be  accomplished  as  speedily  as  possible,  by  driving 
day  and  night,  the  Empress  soon  took  leave  of  her  husband, 
and  returned  to  Paris.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st, 
Napoleon  arrived  in  Milan,  taking  Eugene,  the  viceroy,  by 
surprise.  He  immediately  went,  the  same  morning,  to  the 
cathedral,  to  attend  religious  services ;  in  the  afternoon  he 
called  at  the  palace  of  Monza,  to  see  the  wife  of  Eugene,  who 
was  sick  ;  in  the  evening,  he  attended  the  theater  of  La  Scala, 
that  he  might  gratify  the  Italians  who  were  eager  to  see  him. 

In  crossing  Mount  Cenis,  he  encountered  a  terrible  storm. 
The  poor  accommodations  he  found  for  the  comfort  of  trav- 
elers, led  him  immediately  to  establish  three  small  hamlets,  one 
at  the  summit,  and  one  at  the  foot,  on  each  side.  Here  he 
collected  every  comfort  that  could  be  needful  for  travelers,  and 
granted  exemption  from  taxes,  and  other  privileges  to  the  peas- 
ants who  removed  to  these  hamlets. 

From  Milan  he  went  to  Venice,  taking  the  road  by  Brescia, 
Verona,  and  Padua.  He  was  greeted  in  every  village  and 
city  through  which  he  passed,  by  the  most  enthusiastic  accla- 
mations, lu  Venice  his  reception  was  gorgeous  in  the  ex- 
treme. He  had  met,  on  his  route,  the  King  and  Queen  of  Ba- 
varia, whose  daughter  Eugene  had  married,  his  own  sister, 
Eliza,  Princess  of  Lucca,  and  his  brother,  Joseph,  to  whom  he 
was  most  ardently  attached,  and  whom  he  had  not  seen  since 
he  had  appointed  him  King  of  Naples.  Many  of  the  generals 
of  the  old  army  of  Italy,  here  met  and  united  with  their  re- 
nowned leader,  composing  a  train  of  magnificence  such  as  is 
rarely  witnessed. 


NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPHINE.         197 

The  authorities  of  Venice,  with  a  vast  assemblage  of  the 
populace,  received  the  Emperor  at  one  of  the  lagoons,  with 
gondolas  richly  decorated  to  convey  him  and  his  retinue  across 
the  water  to  the  Queen  of  the  Adriatic.  But  Napoleon's  only 
joy  was  in  the  accomplishment  of  great  and  useful  enterprises. 
All  his  energies  were  expended  during  these  hours  of  fes- 
tivity-in  promoting  vast  improvements.  In  his  short  visit  to 
Venice,  notwithstanding  the  time  necessarily  occupied  in 
receptions,  he  visited  all  the  public  establishments,  the  dock- 
yards, the  arsenals,  and  the  canals.  He  issued  a  decree  of 
twelve  heads  comprehending  all  the  great  wants  of  Venice. 
He  organized  an  administration  for  keeping  the  canals  in  good 
condition  and  for  deepening  the  lagoons.  He  ordered  a  large 
canal  to  be  dug  for  conveying  vessels  from  the  arsenal  to  the 
passage  of  Malamocco  ;  a  basin  was  decreed  sufficiently  capa- 
cious to  hold  a  seventy-four  gun  ship,  and  hydraulic  works  of 
great  magnitude  were  commenced. 

He  seemed  to  comprehend  every  want  at  a  glance.  To 
promote  the  public  health  he  transferred  the  burials  from  the 
churches  to  an  island  which  he  set  apart  for  that  purpose. 
He  embellished  with  new  attractions,  and  brilliantly  lighted, 
the  Place  St.  Mark,  a  celebrated  public  promenade,  and  re- 
newed the  funds  of  several  decaying  charitable  institutions. 
The  people  could  appreciate  such  benefits,  and  acclamations 
resounded  wherever  the  benefactor  appeared. 

From  Venice  Napoleon  returned  to  Milan,  where,  on  the  17th 
of  December,  he  issued  in  retaliation  for  an  edict  on  the  part 
of  the  British  Government,  his  celebrated  Milan  decree.  The 
British  Government  by  three  orders  in  council  had  declared 
France  and  all  the  continental  States  of  Europe  in  a  state  of 
blockade,  and  had  declared  all  neutral  vessels  as  good  prize 
which  should  attempt  to  trade  with  those  ports  without  first 
stopping  in  England  and  paying  an  average  duty  of  twenty- 
jive  per  cent,  upon  all  the  goods  they  conveyed. 

History  mav  be  searched  in  vain  for  audacity  equal  to  that 
which  enabled  the  British  Government,  after  such  a  decree,  to 


198  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

clamor  against  the  retaliatory  measures  of  Napoleon.  Those 
who  have  not  examined  this  subject  will  hardly  think  that 
such  a  decree  could  have  been  issued.  The  details  may  easily 
be  found.  '  % 

From  Milan  Napoleon  passed  to  Alexandria,  near  the  field 
of  Marengo,  where  he  examined  a  magnificent  fortress  which 
he  was  having  constructed.  He  ordered  the  Po  to  be  deep- 
ened, and  laid  out  the  route  of  a  canal  to  connect  the  waters 
of  the  Po  and  of  the  Mediterranean.  He  then  went  to  Turin, 
and  opened  a  magnificent  road  over  Mount  Genevre  to  con- 
nect France  with  Piedmont.  During  this  journey  seven 
bridges  were  ordered  to  span  as  many  streams.  For  all  these 
vast  improvements  he  provided  the  necessary  financial  means. 
On  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  January,  1808,  he  returned  to 
Paris.  He  wrote  as  follows  to  Josephine  during  this  rapid 
tour. 

LETTER  IH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

MILAN,  November  25,  1807. 

I  have  been  here,  my  love,  for  two  days.  I  am  very  glad 
that  you  did  not  come  with  me.  You  would  have  suffered 
dreadfully  in  the  passage  of  Mont  Cenis,  where  a  tempest  de- 
tained me  for  twenty-four  hours. 

I  have  found  Eugene  very  well.  I  am  much  pleased  with 
him.  The  Princess  is  siek.  I  have  been  to  see  her  at  Monza. 
She  has  been  prematurely  confined.  She  is  now  better. 

Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 

Immediately  after  Napoleon's  arrival  in  Milan  the  Legisla- 
tive Assembly  was  called  together,  and  the  Emperor  thus  ad- 
dressed them : 

"  GENTLEMEN — It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  see  you  around 
my  throne.  After  an  absence  of  three  years  I  am  much  grat- 
ified to  observe  the  progress  which  has  been  made  by  my 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        199 

people.  But  there  are  still  many  things  to  be  done  ere  the 
errors  of  our  fathers  can  be  effaced,  and  Italy  rendered  worthy 
of  the  high  destiny  reserved  for  her.  The  intestine  divisions 
of  our  ancestors,  occasioned  by  their  miserable  egotism  and 
love  of  individual  localities,  led  to  the  gradual  loss  of  all  their 
rights.  The  country  was  disinherited  of  its  rank  and  dignity, 
bequeathed  by  those  who,  in  remote  ages,  had  spread  afar  the 
renown  of  their  arms,  and  the  fame  of  their  manly  virtues. 
To  restore  that  renown  and  those  virtues,  will  be  the  object 
and  the  glory  of  my  reign." 


LETTER  IV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

VENICE,  November  30,  180T. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  22d  of  November.  I 
have  been  at  Venice  for  two  days.  The  weather  is  very  bad, 
but  it  has  not  prevented  me  from  traversing  the  lagoons  to 
examine  the  different  forts.  I  see  with  pleasure  that  you  are 
amusing  yourself  in  Paris. 

The  King  of  Bavaria,  with  his  family,  and  also  the  Princess 
Eliza  are  here.  After  the  2d  of  December,  which  I  shall  pass 
here,  I  shall  be  on  my  return,  and  shall  be  very  happy  to  see 
you.  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   V. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

UDINE,  December  11,  1807. 

A  have  received,  my  love,  your  letter  of  the  3d  of  De- 
cember, in  which  I  perceive  that  you  have  been  much  pleased 
with  the  Garden  of  Plants.  I  am  now  at  the  most  distant 
point  of  my  journey.  It  is  possible  that  I  may  soon  be  in 
Paris,  where  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  see  you.  The  weather 


200  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

is  not  very  cold  here  as  yet,  but  very  rainy.  I  have  improved 
the  last  moment  of  the  season,  for  I  suppose  that  at  Noel  the 
winter  begins  to  make  itself  felt. 

Adieu,  my  love.     Thine  entirely.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

MILAN,  December  17,  1807. 

My  brother — I  saw  Lucien  at  Mantua,  and  had  with  him  a 
conversation  of  several  hours.  He  has  no  doubt  acquainted 
you  with  the  sentiments  with  which  he  left  me.  His  notions 
and  his  expressions  are  so  different  from  mine,  that  I  can 
hardly  make  out  what  it  is  that  he  wants.  I  think  that  he 
told  me  that  he  wished  to  send  his  eldest  daughter  to  Paris, 
to  live  with  her  grandmother.  If  he  is  still  thus  disposed,  I 
desire  to  be  immediately  informed  of  it.  It  is  necessary  that 
the  young  lady  should  be  in  Paris  in  the  course  of  the  month 
of  January,  either  accompanied  by  Lucien  or  under  the  care 
of  a  governess,  who  will  conduct  her  to  Ma  lame.  Lucien 
appears  to  me  to  be  contending  against  opposite  feelings,  with- 
out having  sufficient  force  of  character  to  come  to  a  decision. 

I  have  exhausted  all  the  means  which  are  in  my  power  to 
induce  Lucien,  who  is  still  in  his  early  youth,  to  employ  his 
talents  for  me  and  for  his  country.  If  he  still  wishes  to  send 
me  his  daughters  he  should  set  out  without  delay,  and  he 
should  send  me  a  declaration  by  which  he  will  place  her  en- 
tirely at  my  disposal ;  for  there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose,  events 
.-ire  pressing  on  and  my  destiny  must  be  accomplished.  If  he 
has  changed  his  mind  let  me  be  informed  of  it  immediately, 
for  I  shall  then  make  other  arrangements. 

Say  to  Lucien  that  his  grief  and  the  feelings  which  he  ex- 
pressed toward  me  have  touched  me ;  and  that  I  regret  the 
more  that  he  will  not  be  reasonable  and  contribute  to  his  own 
comfort  and  to  mine.  NAPOLEON. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

LETTERS   WRITTEN   IN   THE   SPRING   OP   1808,  MOSTLY 
DURING  A  BRIEF  VISIT  TO  BAYONNE. 

NAPOLEON  returned  to  Paris  from  Italy  on  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1808.  Soon  after,  the  King  of  Spain  abdicated,  being 
driven  to  the  act  by  a  conspiracy  organized  by  his  son.  Both 
father  and  son  appealed  to  Napoleon  for  assistance.  Early  in 
April  he  went  to  Bayonne  on  the  southern  frontier  of  France, 
and  there  met  Charles  IV.,  and  Ferdinand  ;  and  there  he  was 
induced  to  adopt  those  measures  in  regard  to  Spain  which 
subsequently  proved  so  disastrous.  During  this  time  he  wrote 
the  letters  contained  in  the  present  chapter.  The  first  letter 
shows  how  great  was  his  perplexity  in  reference  to  the  course 
which  it  was  politic  to  pursue.  Murat  was  in  Spain  with  a 
French  army  to  assist  the  Spaniards  to  resist  an  anticipated 
attack  from  the  English.  The  Empress  accompanied  the  Em- 
peror on  this  journey  as  far  as  Bordeaux. 


LETTER  I. 

NAPOLEON   TO    MURAT. 

March  29,  1808. 
MONSIEUR  GRAND  DUKE  OF  BERG — 

I  fear  that  you  may  be  deceiving  me  respecting  the  situa- 
tion of  Spain,  and  that  you  may  be  deceiving  yourself.  The 
affair  of  the  19th  of  March  has  very  considerably  embarrassed 
the  state  of  things.  Do  not  imagine  that  you  are  attacking 
an  unarmed  nation,  and  that  your  troops  have  only  to  show 
0* 


202 


CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


themselves  in  order  to  reduce  Spain  to  subjection.  The  revo- 
lution of  the  20th  of  March  proves  that  there  is  spirit  among 
the  Spaniards.  You  have  to  deal  with  a  people  in  the  prime 
of  their  energies,  fired  with  all  the  courage  and  all  the  enthu- 
siasm which  animate  men  who  have  not  been  worn  out  by 
political  excitement. 

The  aristocracy  and  the  clergy  are  masters  of  Spain. 
Should  they  become  alarmed  for  their  piivileges  and  their 
existence,  they  may  raise  against  us  levies  en  masse,  which  will 
perpetuate  the  war. 

The  Prince  of  the  Peace  is  detested,  because  he  is  charged 
with  having  delivered  Spain  over  to  Fiance.  This  is  the 
grievance  which  favored  the  usurpation  of  Ferdinand.  The 
popular  party  is  the  weakest. 

The  Prince  of  the  Asturias  has  none  of  the  qualifications 
requisite  for  the  head  of  a  nation ;  nevertheless,  for  the  sake 
of  setting  him  up  in  opposition  to  us,  he  will  be  elevated  into 
a  hero.  I  will  not  consent  to  any  violence  being  exercised 
toward  the  personages  of  that  family.  It  never  answers  any 
'purpose  to  render  one's  self  odious,  and  to  stir  up  hatred. 
Spain  has  upward  of  one  hundred  thousand  men  in  arms — 
more  than  enough  to  carry  on  internal  war  with  advantage ; 
and  this  force,  if  dispersed  over  various  points,  may  serve  to 
keep  the  whole  monarchy  in  a  state  of  insurrectionary  fer- 
ment. 

I  here  point  out  to  you  all  those  obstacles  which  are  inevi- 
table. There  are  others  which  your  judgment  will  enable 
you  to  comprehend. 

England  will  not  let  slip  this  opportunity  of  multiplying 
our  embarrassments.  She  is  daily  forwarding  advice  to  the 
forces  she  keeps  up  on  the  coast  of  Portugal,  and  in  the  Med- 
iterranean, arid  she  is  enlisting  Sicilian  and  Portuguese  troops. 

The  royal  family,  not  having  quitted  Spain  to  proceed  to 
South  America,,  nothing  but  a  revolution  can  change  the  face 
of  the  country  ;  and  Spain  is,  perhaps,  of  all  the  countries  of 
Europe,  that  which  is  least  prepared  for  revolution.  The  per- 


NAPOLEON    TO    MUBAT.  203 

sons  who  are  sensible  of  the  monstrous  vices  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  of  the  anarchy  which  has  usurped  the  place  of 
legal  authority  are  in  the  minority ;  the  majority  take  advan- 
tage of  these  vices  and  of  that  anarchy. 

In  the  interest  of  my  empire  I  can  effect  much  good  to 
Spain.  The  question  is,  What  are  the  best  means  of  doing 
so  ?  Shall  I  go  to  Madrid  ?  Shall  I  set  up  the  authority  of 
a  Grand  Protectorate,  by  deciding  between  the  father  and  the 
son  ?  It  appears  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  very  difficult  matter 
to  keep  Charles  IV.  on  the  throne.  His  government  and  his 
favorite  have  sank  so  low  in  popular  estimation  that  they 
could  not  support  themselves  for  three  months. 

Ferdinand  is  the  enemy  of  France,  and,  for  that  reason  he 
has  been  made  king.  To  place  him  on  the  throne  will  be  to 
serve  the  factions,  which,  for  the  space  of  twenty-five  years 
have  been  seeking  the  annihilation  of  France.  A  family  alli- 
ance would  be  but  a  feeble  bond.  It  appears  to  me  that  mat- 
ters ought  not  to  be  precipitated ;  and  that  it  will  be  well  to 
take  counsel  of  coming  events.  We  must  reinforce  the  corps 
on  the  frontiers  of  Portugal  and  wait  patiently. 

I  do  not  approve  of  the  course  adopted  by  your  imperial 
highness  in  so  hurriedly  taking  possession  of  Madrid.  The 
army  ought  to  have  been  kept  at  the  distance  of  ten  leagues 
from  the  capital.  You  had  no  satisfactory  assurance  that  the 
people  and  the  magistracy  would  willingly  recognize  Ferdi- 
nand. I  have  ordered  Savary  to  go  to  the  old  king  and  learn 
how  things  are  proceeding.  He  will  concert  with  your  imperial 
highness.  I  will  hereafter  direct  what  course  is  to  be  adopted ; 
in  the  mean  time  I  think  it  necessary  to  prescribe  to  you  the 
following  line  of  conduct. 

You  must  not  bind  me  to  any  interview  in  Spain,  with  Fer- 
dinand, unless  you  judge  the  position  of  things  to  be  such  as 
will  warrant  me  in  recognizing  him  as  King  of  Spain.  You 
must  keep  up  an  appearance  of  amicable  sentiments  toward 
the  king,  the  queen,  and  Prince  Godoy.  You  must  exact  for 
them  and  render  to  them  the  same  honors  as  formerly.  You 


'204:  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

must  manage  so  that  the  Spaniards  may  have  no  suspicion  of 
the  course  I  am  about  to  take.  This  will  not  be  difficult,  since 
I  do  not  myself  know  what  that  course  will  be. 

You  must  make  known  to  the  nobility  and  clergy  that  if 
'France  should  interfere  in  the  affairs  of  Spain,  their  privileges 
and  immunities  will  be  respected.  Inform  them  that  the  Em- 
peror desires  the  improvement  of  the  political  institutions  of 
Spain,  that  they  may  be  raised  to  a  level  with  the  state  of  civil- 
ization throughout  Europe,  and  released  from  the  control  of 
favorites.  Tell  the  magistrates,  citizens,  and  all  enlightened 
persons,  that  Spain  must  reconstruct  the  machine  of  her  gov- 
ernment; that  she  must  have  laws  which  will  protect  her  citi- 
zens against  the  arbitrary  power  and  the  usurpations  of 
feudalism,  institutions  which  will  revive  industry,  agriculture, 
and  the  arts.  Portray  to  them  the  state  of  tranquillity  and 
happiness  enjoyed  by  France,  notwithstanding  the  wars  in 
which  she  has  been  involved,  and  point  to  the  glory  of  her 
religion  which  owes  its  re-establishment  to  the  concordat  I 
have  signed  with  the  Pope.  Prove  to  them  the  advantages 
they  may  derive  from  a  political  regeneration — order  and 
peace  at  home,  respect  and  power  abroad.  Such  must  be  the 
spirit  of  your  addresses  to  the  Spanish  people,  either  in  speak- 
ing or  writing.  Do  not  hurry  on  any  measures.  I  can  wait 
at  Bayonne,  or  I  can  cross  the  Pyrenees  and,  fortifying  my- 
self in  the  direction  of  Portugal,  I  can  continue  the  war  in 
that  quarter. 

I  will  attend  to  your  private  interests ;  do  not  trouble  your- 
self about  them.  Portugal  will  be  at  my  disposal.  Let  no 
personal  project  occupy  your  thoughts,  or  guide  your  conduct ; 
thnt  would  injure  me,  and  would  injure  you  still  more.  You 
go  too  fast  in  your  instructions  of  the  14th.  The  movement 
you  prescribe  for  General  Dupont  is  too  rapid ;  the  event  of 
the  19th  of  March  has  rendered  changes  necessary.  You 
must  make  new  arrangements,  and  you  will  receive  instruc- 
tions from  my  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs.  I  desire  that 
discipline  may  be  maintained  in  the  strictest  manner — no  par- 


NAPOLEON    TO    MUEAT.  205 

don,  even  for  the  smallest  faults.  Let  the  inhabitants  be 
treated  with  the  greatest  consideration  ;  above  all,  let  churches 
and  convents  be  respected. 

Our  troops  must  avoid  any  sort  of  collision,  either  with  the 
corps  of  the  Spanish  army,  or  with  detachments.  Not  a  cart- 
ridge must  be  fired  on  either  side. 

Let  Sokno  get  beyond  Badajoz,  and  keep  watch  upon  him. 
Trace  out,  yourself,  the  marches  of  our  army,  so  as  to  keep  it 
always  at  the  distance  of  several  leagues  from  the  Spanish 
corps.  If  war  should  be  kindled,  all  is  lost. 

T.he  destiny  of  Spain  must  be  determined  by  diplomacy  and 
negotiations.  I  recommend  you  to  avoid  explanations  with 
Solano,  as  well  as  with  the  other  Spanish  governors  and 


You  will  send  me  two  expresses  daily.  In  case  of  events  of 
urgent  importance,  you  must  dispatch  orderly  officers.  Send 
back,  immediately,  the  Chamberlain,  de  Tournou,  who  is  the 
bearer  of  this  dispatch,  and  deliver  to  him  a  detailed  report. 

NAPOLEON. 

We  give  the  following  brief  extracts  from  the  account  which 
Napoleon  gave  at  St.  Helena,  of  his  difficulties  with  Spain : 

"  The  old  king  and  queen,"  said  the  Emperor,  "  at  the  mo- 
ment of  the  event,  were  the  objects  of  the  hatred  and  the  con- 
tempt of  their  subjects.  The  Prince  of  Asturias  conspired 
against  them,  forced  them  to  abdicate,  and  at  once  united  in 
his  own  person  the  love  and  hopes  of  the  nation.  That  nation 
was,  however,  ripe  for  great  changes,  and  demanded  them 
with  energy.  I  enjoyed  vast  popularity  in  the  country,  and  it 
was  in  that  state  of  things  that  all  these  personages  met  at 
Bayonne,  the  old  king  calling  upon  me  for  vengeance  against 
his  son,  and  the  young  prince  soliciting  my  protection  against 
his  father,  and  imploring  a  visit  at  my  hands.  I  resolved  to 
convert  this  singular  occasion  to  my  advantage,  with  the  view 
of  freeing  myself  from  that  branch  of  the  Bourbons,  of  con- 
tinuing in  my  own  dynasty  the  family  system  of  Louis  XIV., 


206  .  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

and  of  binding  Spain  to  the  destinies  of  France.  Ferdinand 
was  sent  to  Valence,  the  old  king  to  Marseilles,  as  he  wished, 
and  my  brother  Joseph  went  to  reign  at  Madrid,  with  a  liberal 
constitution,  adopted  by  a  congress  of  the  Spanish  nation, 
which  had  come  to  receive  it  at  Bayonne. 

"  The  impolicy  of  my  conduct  was  irrevocably  decided  by  the 
results.  But  independently  of  that  kind  of  proof,  depending 
upon  consequences.,  I  have  to  reproach  myself  with  serious 
faults  in  the  execution  of  my  plans.  One  of  the  greatest,  was 
that  of  treating  the  dethronement  of  the  dynasty  of  the  Bour- 
bons as  a  matter  of  importance,  and  of  maintaining,  as  the 
basis  of  my  system  for  a  new  sovereign,  precisely  the  man 
who,  by  his  qualities  and  character,  was  certain  to  produce  its 
failure. 

"  Charles  IV.  was,  however,  too  stale  for  the  Spaniards. 
Ferdinand  should  have  been  considered  in  the  same  light. 
The  plan  most  worthy  of  me,  and  the  best  suited  to  my  pro- 
ject, would  have  been  a  kind  of  mediation,  like  that  of  Switzer- 
land. I  ought  to  have  given  a  liberal  constitution  to  the 
Spanish  nation,  and  charged  Ferdinand  with  its  execution.  If 
he  acted  with  good  faith,  Spain  must  have  prospered,  and  har- 
monized with  our  new  manners.  The  great  object  would  have 
been  obtained,  and  France  would  have  acquired  an  intimate 
ally,  and  an  addition  of  power  truly  formidable.  Had  Ferdi- 
nand, on  the  contrary,  proved  faithless  to  his  new  engage- 
ments, the  Spaniards  themselves  would  not  have  failed  to 
dismiss  him,  and  would  have  applied  to  me  for  a  ruler  in 
his  place.  At  all  events,  that  unfortunate  war  of  Spain  was  a 
real  affliction,  and  the  first  cause  of  the  calamities  of  France. 

"  I  was  then  assailed  with  imputations,  for  which,  however, 
I  had  given  no  cause.  History  will  do  me  justice.  I  was 
charged,  in  that  affair,  with  perfidy,  with  laying  snares,  and 
with  bad  faith,  and  yet  I  was  completely  innocent.  Never, 
whatever  may  have  been  said  to  the  contrary,  have  I  broken 
any  engagement,  or  violated  any  promise,  either  with  regard 
to  Spain  or  any  other  power. 


NAPOLEON    TO    MURAT.  20T 

"  The  -world  will  one  day  be  convinced  that  in  the  princi- 
pal transactions  relative  to  Spain  I  was  completely  a  stranger 
to  all  the  domestic  intrigues  of  its  court ;  that  I  broke  no 
promise  made  either  to  Charles  IV.,  or  to  Ferdinand  VII ; 
that  I  violated  no  engagement  either  with  the  father  or  the 
son ;  that  I  made  use  of  no  falsehoods  to  entice  them  both  to 
Bayonne,  but  that  they  both  strove  which  should  be  first  to 
show  himself  there.  When  I  saw  them  at  my  feet,  and  was 
enabled  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of  their  total  incapacity, 
I  beheld  with  compassion  the  fate  of  a  great  people.  I  eagerly 
seized  the  singular  opportunity  held  out  to  me  by  fortune,  for 
regenerating  Spain,  rescuing  her  from  the  yoke  of  England, 
and  intimately  uniting  her  with  our  system.  It  was,  in  my 
conception,  laying  the  fundamental  basis  of  the  tranquillity 
and  security  of  Europe.  But  I  was  far  from  employing,  for 
that  purpose,  as  it  has  been  reported,  any  base  and  paltry 
stratagems.  If  I  erred  it  was,  on  the  contrary,  by  daring 
openness  and  extraordinary  energy.  Bayonne  was  not  the 
scene  of  premeditated  ambush,  but  of  a  vast  master-stroke  of 
state  policy.  I  could  have  preserved  myself  from  these  impu- 
tations by  a  little  hypocrisy,  or  by  giving  up  the  Prince  of 
Peace  to  the  fury  of  the  people.  But  the  idea  appeared  hor- 
rible to  me,  and  struck  me  as  if  I  were  to  receive  the  price 
of  blood.  When  I  had  them  all  assembled  at  Bayonne  I  felt 
a  confidence  in  my  political  system  to  which  I  never  before 
had  the  presumption  to  aspire.  I  had  not  made  any  combi- 
nations, but  I  took  advantage  of  the  moment.  I  here  found 
the  Gordian  knot  before  me,  and  I  cut  it.  I  proposed  to 
Charles  IV.  and  the  queen  to  resign  the  crown  of  Spain  to 
me  and  to  live  quietly  in  France. 

"  They  agreed,  I  could  almost  say  with  joy,  to  the  proposal, 
so  inveterately  were  they  exasperated  against  their  son,  and 
so  earnestly  did  they  and  their  favorite  wish  to  enjoy  for  the 
future,  tranquillity  and  safety.  The  Prince  of  the  Asturias 
made  no  extraordinary  resistance  to  the  plan,  but  neither  vio- 
lence nor  threats  were  employed  against  him,  and,  if  he  was 


208  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

influenced  by  fear,  which  I  am  very  willing  to  believe,  that 
could  only  be  his  concern. 

"  There  you  have  in  a  few  words  the  complete  historical 
sketch  of  the  affairs  of  Spain;  whatever  may  be  said  or  writ- 
ten upon  it  must  amount  to  that ;  and  you  see  that  there 
could  be  no  occasion  for  me  to  have  had  recourse  to  paltry 
tricks,  to  falsehood,  to  breaches  of  faith  or  violation  of  en- 
gagements. In  order  to  establish  my  guilt,  it  would  have 
been  necessary  to  show  my  inclination. to  degrade  myself  gra- 
tuitously. But  of  that  propensity  I  have  not  given  an  in- 
stance." 


LETTER  II. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  BORDEAUX. 

BAYON-NE,  April  16,  1808. 

I  have  arrived  here  in  good  health,  a  little  fatigued  by  the 
route  which  is  melancholy  and  very  rough.  I  am  very  glad 
that  you  stopped,  for  the  houses  here  are  very  bad  and  very 
small.  I  am,  to-day,  to  go  to  a  small  house  in  the  country, 
half  a  league  distant  from  the  city.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  wish 
you  good  health.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER    III. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    BORDEAUX. 

April  17,  1808. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  15th  of  April.  What 
you  tell  me  of  the  landlord  of  the  country  house,  gives  me 
pleasuj»e.  Go  there  to  pass  the  day  sometimes. 

I  give  an  order  that  an  addition  of  four  thousand  dollars  a 
mouth  be  made  for  your  private  purse  to  commence  from  the 
1st  of  April. 
I  am  horribly  lodged.     I  am  going  in  half  an  hour  to 


JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTEN8E.  209 

make  a  change,  and  take  up  my  abode  at  a  half  league's  dis- 
tance in  a  country  house.  The  Infant  don  Charles,  and  five 
or  six  Spanish  nobles  are  here.  The  Prince  of  Asturias  is 
twenty  leagues  distant.  King  Charles  and  the  queen  have 
arrived.  I  do  not  know  where  I  shall  lodge  all  these  peo- 
ple. All  are,  as  yet,  at  the  inn.  My  troops  are  doing  well 
in  Spain. 

It  took  me  a  moment  to  comprehend  your  pretty  thoughts 
(tes  gentillesses).  I  have  smiled  at  your  souvenirs.  You 
ladies  have  such  memories. 

My  health  is  quite  good,  and  I  love  you  with  the  truest 
affection.  I  desire  that  you  should  make  friends  with  every 
body  at  Bordeaux  ;  my  occupations  have  not  allowed  me  to 
pay  any  attentions.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   IV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  BORDEAUX. 

April  21,  1808. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  19th  of  April.  Yester- 
day I  had  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias  and  his  court,  to  dine. 
It  caused  me  much  embarrassment.  I  am  expecting  to  see 
Charles  TV.  and  the  queen.  My  health  is  good.  I  am  pretty 
well  established  and  fairly  in  the  country.  Adieu,  my  love. 
I  receive  always  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  tidings  from 
you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  V. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTEN8E    AT   PARIS. 

BORDEAUX,  April  23,  1808. 

I  am,  my  dear  Hortense,  in  an  excess  of  joy.  The  tidings 
of  your  happy  accouchment  were  brought  to  me  yesterday  by 
M.  de  Villeneuve.  I  felt  my  heart  beat  the  moment  I  saw 


210  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

him  enter;  but  I  cherished  the  hope  that  he  had  only  good 
tidings  to  bring  me,  and  my  presentiments  did  not  deceive 
me.  I  have  just  received  a  second  letter,  which  assures  me 
that  you  are  very  well,  and  also  your  son.  I  know  that  Na- 
poleon will  console  himself  in  not  having  a  sister,  and  that  he 
already  loves  very  much  his  brother.1  Embrace  them  both 
for  me. 

I  received,  yesterday,  a  letter  from  the  Emperor.  His 
health  is  very  good.  The  Prince  of  Asturias  and  Don  Carlos 
have  dined  with  him ;  he  expects,  also,  the  king,  Charles  IV., 
and  the  queen,  to  dine  with  him  to-morrow. 

But  I  must  not  write  you  too  long  a  letter,  from  fear  of  fa- 
tiguing you.  Take  care  of  yourself  with  the  utmost  caution. 
Do  not  receive  too  much  company  at  present.  Let  me  hear 
from  you  every  day.  I  await  tidings  from  you  with  as  much 
impatience  as  I  love  you  with  tenderness.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  BORDEAUX. 

BAYONNE,  April  23,  1808. 

My  love — Hortense  has  become  the  mother  of  another  son. 
It  affords  me  the  greatest  joy.  I  am  not  surprised  that  you 
say  nothing  to  me  about  it,  since  your  letter  is  dated  the  21st, 
and  she  was  confined  on  the  night  of  the  20th. 

You  can  set  out  on  the  26th,  sleep  at  Mount  de  Maisan,  and 
arrive  here  on  the  27th.  Let  your  attendants  who  go  before 

1  The  child  to  whose  birth  Josephine  here  refers,  was  Louis  Napo- 
leon, now  Napoleon  III.,  Emperor  of  France.  He  was  born  in  the  palace 
of  the  Tuileries  in  Paris,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1808.  He  had  then  one 
brother,  Napoleon  Louis,  a  few  years  older  than  himself,  who  has  since 
died.  Louis  Napoleon  has  for  many  years  been  without  either  father 
or  mother,  brother,  or  sister.  His  life  has  been  one  of  great  reverses 
and  of  many  and  severe  sufferings.  The  spirit  of  melancholy  has  left 
deep  traces  upon  his  countenance. 


NAPOLEON    TO     JOSEPH.  211 

you  leave  on  the  evening  of  the  25th.  I  will  arrange  for  you 
here  a  little  country-seat  by  the  side  of  that  which  I  occupy. 
My  health  is  good.  I  am  expecting  King  Charles  and  his 
wife.  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE,  AT   PARIS. 

BORDEAUX,  April  25,  1808. 

I  have  received,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  letter  from  the  Em- 
peror, who  informs  me  that  he  has  been  apprised  of  your  con- 
finement, and  that  the  intelligence  has  given  him  very  great 
joy.  It  appears  that  he  had  received  the  news  before  the  ar- 
rival of  M.  de  Villeneuve.  The  Emperor  sent  at  the  same 
time  for  me  to  come  and  meet  him  at  Bayonne.  You  can 
judge,  my  dear  daughter,  that  it  is  a  great  happiness  for  me 
not  to  be  separated  from  the  Emperor  ;  I  set  out  early  to-mor- 
row morning.  The  news  which  I  have  received  of  your  health 
gives  me  much  pleasure.  I  entreat  you  to  be  very  careful  of 
your  health,  and  particularly  to  avoid  receiving  too  much 
company  at  present.  I  shall  be  two  or  three  days  without 
writing  to  you,  but  not  a  moment  without  thinking  of  you. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VHI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

BAYONNE,  May  11,  1808. 

My  brother — You  will  find  annexed  the  letter  of  King 
Charles  to  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  and  a  copy  of  my  treaty 
with  the  king.  The  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  is  Lieutenant-Gene- 
ral  of  the  kingdom,  President  of  the  Junta,  and  Generalissimo 
of  the  Spanish  forces.  King  Charles  starts  in  two  days  for 
Compeigne.  The  Prince  of  the  Asturias  is  going  toward 


212  CONFIDENTIAL      LETTERS. 

Paris.  The  other  Spanish  princes  are  to  occupy  villas  in  the 
environs  of  Paris.  King  Charles,  by  his  treaty  with  me,  sur- 
renders to  me  all  his  rights  to  the  crown  of  Spain.  The 
prince  had  already  renounced  his  pretended  title  of  king,  the 
abdication  of  King  Charles  in  his  favor  having  been  involun- 
tary. The  nation,  through  the  supreme  council  of  Castile, 
asks  me  for  a  king.  I  destine  this  crown  for  you. 

Spain  is  very  different  from  Naples.  It  contains  eleven 
millions  of  inhabitants,  and  has  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  millions  of  revenue,  without  counting  the  immense  reve- 
nues and  the  possession  of  all  the  Americas.  It  is,  besides,  a 
throne  which  places  you  at  Madrid,  at  three  days  journey 
from  France,  which  borders  the  whole  of  one  of  its  frontiers. 
At  Madrid  you  are  in  France.  Naples  is  at  the  end  of  the 
world.  I  desire,  then,  that  immediately  after  having  received 
this  letter,  you  will  leave  the  regency  to  whom  you  please,  the 
command  of  the  troops  to  Marshal  Jourdan,  and  that  you  set 
out  for  Bayonne  by  the  way  of  Turin,  Mount  Cenis,  and  Ly- 
ons. You  will  receive  this  letter  on  the  19th,  you  will  leave 
on  the  20th,  and  you  will  be  here  on  the  1st  of  June. 

Leave  with  Marshal  Jourdan,  before  you  set  out,  directions 
as  to  the  disposition  of  your  troops,  and  make  arrangements 
as  if  you  were  to  be  absent  only  to  the  1st  of  July.  Be  secret, 
however.  Your  journey  will  probably  excite  only  too  much 
suspicion.  You  can  say  that  you  are  going  to  the  north  of 
Italy,  to  confer  with  me  upon  affairs  of  importance. 

NAPOLEON. 

At  St.  Helena  Napoleon  remarked,  in  reference  to  these 
transactions : 

"  If  the  government  I  established  had  remained,  it  would 
have  been  the  best  thing  that  ever  happened  for  Spain.  I 
would  have  regenerated  the  Spaniards.  I  would  have  made 
them  a  great  nation.  Instead  of  a  feeble,  imbecile,  and  super- 
stitious race  of  Bourbons,  I  would  have  given  them  a  new  dy- 
nasty, that  would  have  no  claim  upon  the  nation,  except  by 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOSEPH.  213 

the  good  it  would  have  rendered  unto  it.  For  a  hereditary 
race  of  asses,  they  would  have  had  a  monarch  with  ability  to 
revive  the  nation,  sunk  under  the  yoke  of  superstition  and  ig- 
norance. Perhaps  it  is  better  for  France  that  I  did  not  suc- 
ceed, as  Spain  would  have  been  a  formidable  rival.  I  would 
have  destroyed  superstition  and  priestcraft,  and  abolished  the 
Inquisition,  and  those  lazy  beasts  of  friars.  I  would  have  ren- 
dered the  priests  at  least  harmless.  The  guerillas  who  fought 
so  bravely  against  me,  now  lament  their  success.  When  I  was 
last  in  Paris,  I  had  letters  from  Mina,  and  many  other  leaders 
of  the  guerillas,  craving  assistance  to  expel  their  friar  from 
the  throne." 

The  British  government  took  Spain  from  the  hands  of  Na- 
poleon, and  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  Ferdinand  VII.  The 
world  can  look  at  Spain  now,  and  see  what  has  been  the 
result. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

LETTERS  IN  THE  YEAR  1808,  DURING  THE  CONGRESS  AT 
ERFURTH. 

ABOUT  the  middle  of  September,  Napoleon  left  Paris  to 
meet  at  Erfurth  the  Emperor  Alexander,  and  a  brilliant  as- 
semblage of  kings,  princes,  and  statesmen,  from  all  parts  of 
Europe,  to  deliberate  upon  the  general  welfare  of  the  conti- 
nent. The  Congress  assembled  on  the  27th  of  September, 
and  continued  until  the  14th  of  October,  when  it  was  dis- 
solved, and  Napoleon  and  Alexander  took  very  friendly  leave 
of  each  other.  They  never  met  again. 


LETTER   I. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

ERFURTH,  September  29,  1808. 

I  have  a  slight  cold.  I  have  received  your  letter  from  Mal- 
maison.  I  am  highly  pleased  here  with  the  Emperor  and 
with  every  one.  It  is  one  hour  after  midnight  and  I  am 
fatigued.  Adieu,  my  love.  Take  care  of  your  health. 

NAPOLEON. 

This  celebrated  congress  had  attracted  to  Erfurth  all  the 
most  illustrious  of  the  literati  of  Germany.  Wieland  and 
Goethe  were  there.  Wieland,  the  renowned  poet  and  histo- 
rian, thus  describes  an  interview  he  had  with  the  Emperor 
Napoleon,  one  evening  in  the  saloon  of  the  Princess  of  Tour : 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.        215 

"  I  had  been  but  a  few  moments  in  the  room  when  Napo- 
leon crossed  it  to  come  to  us.  I  was  presented  by  the  Duchess 
of  Weimar.  He  paid  me  some  compliments  in  an  affable 
tone,  fixing  his  eye  piercingly  upon  me.  Few  men  have  ap- 
peared to  me  to  possess  in  the  same  degree,  the  power  of  pen- 
etrating, at  a  glance,  the  thoughts  of  others.  I  have  never 
beheld  one  more  calm,  more  simple,  more  mild,  or  less  osten- 
tatious in  appearance.  Nothing  about  him  indicated  the  feel- 
ing of  power  in  a  great  monarch. 

"  He  spoke  to  me  as  an  old  acquaintance  would  speak  to 
an  equal.  What  was  more  extraordinary  on  his  part,  he  con- 
versed with  me  exclusively  for  an  hour  and  a  half  to  the  great 
surprise  of  the  assembly.  He  appeared  to  have  no  relish  for 
any  thing  gay.  In  spite  of  the  prepossessing  amenity  of  his 
manners  he  seemed  to  me  to  be  of  bronze.  Toward  midnight 
I  began  to  feel  that  it  was  improper  to  detain  him  so  long  and 
I  took  the  liberty  to  demand  permission  to  retire.  '  Go  then,' 
said  he,  in  a  friendly  tone ;  '  Good-night.' " 


LETTER   II. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT   ST.    CLOUD. 

October  9,  1808. 

I  have  received,  my  love,  your  letter.  I  see  with  pleasure 
that  you  are  well.  I  have  just  come  from  a  drive  over  the 
battle-field  of  Jena.  We  breakfasted  upon  the  spot  where  I 
passed  the  night  in  bivouac.  I  have  been  present  at  a  ball  in 
Weimar.  The  Emperor  Alexander  danced.  But  1?  No! 
Forty  years  are  forty  years.  My  health  is  in  the  main  good, 
notwithstanding  some  little  ills.  Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely 
thine.  I  hope  to  see  you  soon.  NAPOLEON. 

Erfurth  was  distant  but  a  few  miles  from  the  field  of  Jena. 
A  magnificent  fete  was  arranged  there  in  honor  of  Napoleon, 
by  those  who  were  willing,  in  their  present  admiration  of  his 


216  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

character,  to  forget  their  past  defeats.  A  tent  was  pitched, 
and  breakfast  provided,  upon  the  summit  of  the  Landgrafen- 
herg,  where  Napoleon  had  bivouacked  on  the  night  of  the 
]9th  of  October,  two  years  before — the  night  before  the  terri- 
ble battles  of  Jena  and  Auerstadt. 


LETTER   IH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT    ST.    CLOUD. 

My  love — I  write  you  but  little.  I  am  intensely  occupied. 
Conversation  engrosses  every  moment  of  the  day.  That  does 
not  cure  my  cold.  Nevertheless  every  thing  is  prosperous. 
I  am  well  satisfied  with  Alexander ;  he  ought  to  be  so  with 
me.  If  he  were  a  woman,  I  think  I  should  fall  in  love  with 
him. 

I  shall  be  with  you  soon.  Take  good  care  of  your  health, 
and  let  me  find  you  plump  and  rosy.  Adieu,  my  love. 

NAPOLEON. 


Austria,  assuming  an  unfriendly  attitude,  was  not  invited  to 
this  congress.  The  neglect  irritated  Francis ;  he,  however,  sent 
an  embassador,  with  some  message,  but  in  reality  to  watch 
the  proceedings.  Napoleon  received  the  embassador  cour- 
teously, and  transmitted  by  him  to  Francis  the  following 
letter : 

LETTER  IV. 

NAPOLEON    TO    THE    EMPEROR    FRANCIS    OF    AUSTRIA. 

ERFURTH. 

Sire  and  brother — I  have  never  doubted  your  Majesty's  up- 
right intentions.  I  have,  notwithstanding,  had  fears,  for  a 
while,  of  seeing  hostilities  renewed  between  us.  There  is  a 
faction  in  Vienna  which  affects  alarm  in  order  to  hurry  your 


NAPOLEON     TO     THE    KINO    OF    ENGLAND.      217 

cabinet  into  violent  measures.  I  have  had  it  in  my  power  to 
dismember  your  Majesty's  monarchy,  or,  at  least,  to  leave  it 
less  powerful.  I  did  not  choose  to  do  so.  What  it  is,  it  is  by 
my  consent.  This  is  the  most  convincing  proof  that  I  desire 
nothing  of  your  Majesty.  I  am  always  ready  to  guaranty 
the  integrity  of  your  Majesty's  dominions.  I  will  never  do 
any  thing  contrary  to  the  established  principles  of  your  mon- 
archy. 

"  But  your  Majesty  must  not  open  questions  which  fifteen 
years  of  war  have  settled.  Your  Majesty  must  prohibit  every 
proclamation  or  proceeding  provocative  of  war.  By  pursuing 
a  straightforward  and  frank  line  of  conduct,  your  Majesty 
will  render  your  people  happy,  and  you  will  enjoy  yourself 
the  repose  which  you  so  earnestly  desire  after  so  many  troubles. 
Let  your  Majesty's  proceedings  display  confidence  and  they 
will  inspire  it.  The  best  policy,  in  these  days,  is  simplicity 
and  truth.  Let  your  Majesty  make  known  to  me  your  appre- 
hensions ;  I  will  instantly  disperse  them,  etc.  NAPOLEON. 


One  of  the  great  objects  of  the  congress  at  Erfurth  was  so 
to  combine  Europe,  as  to  compel  the  British  Government  to 
sheathe  the  sword,  and  thus,  at  last,  to  allow  the  world  to  be 
at  peace.  A  letter  was  accordingly  written  to  the  King  of 
England  by  Napoleon,  and  signed  by  both  Napoleon  and 
Alexander.  This  important  document  was  as  follows  : 

LETTER  V. 

TO  THE  KINO  OF  ENGLAND. 

ERFTOTH. 

Sire — The  present  situation  of  Europe  has  brought  us  to- 
gether at  Erfurth.  Our  first  wish  is  to  fulfill  the  desire  of  all 
nations,  and,  by  a  speedy  pacification  with  your  Majesty,  to 
take  the  most  effectual  means  for  relieving  the  sufferings  of 
Europe.  The  long  and  bloody  war,  which  has  convulsed  the 
10 


218  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

continent  is  at  an  end,  and  can  not  be  renewed.  Many  changes 
have  taken  place  in  Europe ;  many  governments  have  been 
destroyed.  The  cause  is  to  be  found  in  the  uneasiness  and 
the  sufferings  occasioned  by  the  stagnation  of  maritime  com- 
merce. Greater  changes  still  may  take  place,  and  all  will  be 
unfavorable  to  the  politics  of  England.  Peace,  therefore,  is  at 
the  same  time  the  common  cause  of  the  nations  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  of  Great  Britain.  We  unite  in  requesting  your 
Majesty  to  lend  an  ear  to  the  voice  of  humanity,  to  suppress 
that  of  the  passions,  to  reconcile  contending  interests,  and  to 
secure  the  welfare  of  Europe  and  of  the  generations  over  which 
Providence  has  placed  us.  Signed,  NAPOLEON. 

ALEXANDER. 

This  letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Canning,  then  Prime  Min- 
ister of  England,  inclosed  in  an  envelop,  the  inscription  of 
which  signified  that  it  was  a  letter  from  the  Emperors  of 
France  and  Russia  to  the  King  of  Great  Britain. 

But  the  British  government  was  so  determined  to  make  no 
peace  whatever  with  Napoleon,  that  they  would  not  even  listen 
to  any  proposals  from  him.  They  issued  stringent  orders  not 
to  allow  a  flag  of  truce  to  pass.  But  a  French  brig,  convey- 
ing the  envoys,  pushed  boldly  into  the  Downs  and  cast  anchor. 
The  English  government,  however,  refused  all  negotiation, 
and  returned  the  insulting  answer,  that  "  the  English  ministers 
could  not  reply  to  the  two  sovereigns,  since  one  of  them  was 
not  recognized  by  England.1'1  And  then  with  effrontery,  for 
which  the  world  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  a  parallel,  these 
same  ministers  continued  to  bombard  France,  clamoring  more 
loudly  than  ever  that  Bonaparte,  in  his  " insatiable  ambition" 
would  not  allow  the  world  to  be  at  peace. 


Just  before  Napoleon  set  out  for  Erfurth,  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  his  brother  Joseph : 


NAPOLEON    TO    JOJ3EPH.  219 


LETTER  VI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

ST.  CLOUD,  September  17,  1808. 

My  brother — I  shall  not  answer  your  last  letter,  in  which 
you  appear  to  me  to  be  out  of  humor.  I  have  observed  this 
rule  with  you  for  a  long  time  past.  You  have  too  much  sense 
not  to  be  aware  that  this  is  the  only  course  open  to  me  when 
you  write  in  such  terms.  Nor  shall  I  ever  discuss  the  past 
with  you,  unless  you  ask  me  to  do  so,  for  your  particular  ben- 
efit, and  to  serve  you  as  a  rule  for  the  future.  But  when  you 
are  convinced  that  one  could  not  have  done  better  than  has 
been  done,  I  ought  to  leave  you  in  that  belief,  and  not  to  af- 
flict you,  since  the  past  is  always  without  remedy.  I  have 
granted  all  the  rewards  which  General  Merlin  asked  me  for, 
on  account  of  the  affair  of  Bilboa,  the  more  willingly  as  his 
demands  seemed  to  me  to  be  reasonable.  NAPOLEON. 

About  this  time,  Miiller,  the  celebrated  Swiss  historian,  had 
an  interview  with  Napoleon.  In  the  following  language  he 
described  the  impression  which  the  Emperor's  presence  pro- 
duced upon  his  mind : 

"  Quite  impartially  and  truly,  as  before  God,  I  must  say  that 
the  variety  of  his  knowledge,  the  acuteness  of  his  observation, 
the  solidity  of  his  understanding,  filled  me  with  astonishment. 
His  manner  of  speaking  to  me  inspired  me  with  love  for  him. 
It  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  days  of  my  life.  By  his 
genius  and  his  disinterested  goodness  he  has  conquered  me 
also." 

In  reference  to  the  proposals  for  peace  made  to  England, 
by  Napoleon  and  Alexander,  at  the  close  of  this  conference, 
Colonel  Napier,  the  historian  of  the  Peninsular  War,  says : 

"  What  Napoleon's  real  views,  in  proposing  to  treat,  were, 
it  is  difficult  to  determine.  He  could  not  expect  that  Great 
Britain  would  have  relinquished  the  cause  of  Spain.  He  must 


220  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

therefore  have  been  prepared  to  make  some  arrangement  upon 
that  head,  unless  the  whole  proceeding  was  an  artifice  to  sow 
distrust  among  his  enemies.  The  English  minister  asserted 
that  it  was  so.  But  what  enemies  were  they  among  whom  he 
could  create  this  uneasy  feeling  ?  Sweden,  Sicily,  Portugal ! 
The  notion,  as  applied  to  them,  was  absurd.  It  is  more  prob- 
able that  he  was  sincere.  He  said  so,  at  St.  Helena,  and  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  the  period  at  which  the  conference 
of  Erfurth  took  place,  warrant  a  belief  in  that  assertion." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

LETTERS  IN   1808  AND   1809,  DURING  NAPOLEON'S  CAM- 
PAIGN IN  SPAIN. 

THE  Spanish  peasantry,  generally,  roused  by  the  priests,  and 
aided  by  England,  resisted  the  measures  of  Napoleon.  En- 
gland landed  a  large  army  to  assist  the  Spaniards  to  drive 
Joseph  from  Spain.  Napoleon  returned  from  Erfurth  to  Paris 
on  the  18th  of  October.  On  the  29th  he  took  his  carriage 
for  Bayonne,  "  traversing  the  earth,"  says  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
"as  a  comet  does  the  sky,  working  changes  wherever  he 
came."  The  fleet  of  England  was  hovering  around  the  shores 
of  Spain  and  Portugal,  landing,  at  every  available  point,  mon- 
ey, arms,  and  munitions  of  war.  Heading  his  armies,  he 
swept  onward  like  a  whirlwind,  everywhere  driving  the  En- 
glish and  the  Spaniards  before  him.  He  was  pursuing  Sir  John 
Moore,  who  was  retreating  with  great  precipitation  to  his 
ships,  when,  on  the  2d  of  January,  he  was  stopped  on  the 
road  near  Astorga,  in  a  snow-storm,  by  dispatches  informing 
him  that  Austria  had  entered  into  another  coalition  with  En- 
gland, to  attack  him  on  the  north.  He  accordingly  surren- 
dered the  pursuit  to  Marshal  Soult,  and  returned  to  Paris,  to 
make  preparations  to  meet  this  new  danger.  During  this 
short  campaign  of  two  months,  Napoleon  wrote  as  follows  to 
Josephine : 

LETTER  I. 

11     %  TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

BAYONNE,  November  3,  1808. 

I  arrived  here,  this  night,  with  much  difficulty.  I  have 
traveled  over  several  stages  on  horseback.  I  am,  nevertheless, 


222  CONFIDENTIAL      LETTERS. 

very  well.     I  leave,  to-morrow,  for  Spain.     My  troops  are  as- 
sembling in  force.     Adieu,  my  love.     Entirely  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IT. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

BAYONNE,  November  3,  1808. 

My  brother — I  have  this  instant  reached  Bayonne ;  all  your 
troops  are  scattered.  Let  us  hear  from  you  at  least  once  or 
twice  a  day,  that  I  may  know  the  positions  of  all  the  different 
corps.  Having  ridden  post  over  a  part  of  the  Landes,  I  am 
rather  tired.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   HI. 

NAPOLEON    TO    THE    MINISTER,    DEJEAN,    DIRECTOR   OP   THE 
ADMINISTRATION    OF   WAR. 

BAYONNE,  November  4,  1808. 

You  will  find  annexed  a  report  of  the  commissary.  You 
will  see  how  shamefully  I  am  treated.  I  have  only  fourteen 
hundred  coats,  seven  thousand  great  coats,  instead  of  fifty 
thousand  ;  fifteen  thousand  pairs  of  shoes,  instead  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-nine  thousand.  I  am  in  want  of  every  thing. 
Nothing  can  be  worse  than  the  clothing.  My  army  will  begin 
the  campaign  naked.  It  has  nothing.  The  conscripts  are 
not  clothed.  Your  reports  are  waste  paper.  Merely  sending 
convoys  is  not  enough ;  they  should  be  dispatched  regularly 
under  an  officer  or  a  clerk,  and  they  would  arrive. 

You  will  find  inclosed  letters  from  the  Prefect  of  the  Gi- 
ronde,  and  a  report  from  the  inspector,  Dufreme.  You  will 
see  that  all  is  robbery  and  peculation.  My  army  is  naked 
just  as  it  is  entering  on  a  campaign.  I  have  spent  a  great 
deal,  which  has  been  money  thrown  into  the  sea. 

NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON     TO     DEJEAN.  228 


LETTER  IV. 

NAPOLEON   TO    DEJEAN.        » 

TOLOSA,  November  5,  1808. 

What  I  want  are  great  coats  and  shoes.  I  should  want 
nothing  if  my  orders  had  been  executed.  Not  one  has  been 
executed,  because  the  commissary  can  not  be  relied  upon,  and 
because  he  has  dealing  with  rogues.  You  must  send  to 
Bayonne  a  commissary  above  suspicion.  I  wish  to  have  no 
contracts.  You  know  that  contracts  produce  nothing  but 
robbery. 

I  have  annulled  the  contract  for  clothing  at  Bordeaux. 
Send  thither  a  director  to  make  clothing  on  my  account,  who 
will  receive  from  the  Prefect  assistance,  a  work  place  and  work 
people.  Act  on  this  principle,  that  every  contractor  is  a  thief; 
that  when  you  pay,  contracts  are  unnecessary ;  and  that  the 
best  plan  is  always  to  make  for  yourself. 

How  is  this  working  establishment  to  be  managed  ?  Like 
those  in  our  regiments.  An  honest  commissary  must  be  put 
at  its  head,  and  three  or  four  master  tailors  under  him  ;  and 
three  field  officers  among  those  at  Bordeaux  must  receive  the 
clothing  and  see  that  it  is  good.  Give  the  commissary  funds 
and  no  contract  will  be  necessary.  You  will  see,  by  my  de- 
cree that  a  commissioner  is  to  be  added  to  the  commissary,  a 
man  who  will  stake  his  reputation  on  the  success  of  the  un- 
dertaking, and  two  good  store-keepers,  and  two  master  tailors. 
These  five  persons  are  enough  ;  and  I  shall  have  clothing  as 
good  as  that  of  my  guard.  There  can  be  no  difficulty  in  get- 
ting through  with  the  work.  Ten  thousand  suits  of  clothes  a 
day  might  be  made ;  all  that  would  be  necessary  would  be  to 
send  for  work  people  from  every  part  of  France.  If  you  had 
acted  thus,  all  would  now  be  going  on  well.  I  wish  for  no 
contracts.  This  must  be  the  system  when  the  clothing  is 
made  out  of  the  regiment,  etc. 

NAPOLEON. 


224  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER   V. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

November  5,  1808. 

I  am  at  Tolosa.  I  leave  for  Vittoria  where  I  shall  be  in  a 
few  hours.  I  am  very  well,  and  I  hope  that  all  this  will  soon 
be  finished.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 


November  7. 

My  love — I  have  T)een  for  two  days  at  Vittoria.  I  am  very 
well.  The  guard  arrived  to-day.  The  king  is  very  well.  My 
time  is  very  much  occupied.  I  learn  that  you  are  at  Paris. 
Do  not  doubt  my  afiection.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VH. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

CABO,  November  10,  1808;  8  P.  M. 

My  brother — I  shall  start  at  one  o'clock  to-morrow  morn- 
ing for  Burgos,  where  I  shall  make  my  arrangements  for  (he 
day;  for  to  conquer  is  nothing;  it  is  necessary  to  know  how 
to  profit  by  success.  I  think  that  you  are  to  be  at  Breviesca 
to-morrow.  I  am  as  anxious  that  you  should  be  treated  with 
ceremomy  as  I  am  careless  about  myself.  As  for  me,  it  does 
not  suit  the  character  of  a  soldier,  and  I  do  not  wish  for  it. 
I  think  that  deputations  from  Burgos  ought  to  meet  you  and 
receive  you  in  the  best  manner  possible.  Upon  my  arrival  I 
will  give  all  the  orders  for  the  disarmament  and  for  burning 
the  standard  which  was  used  on  the  proclamation  of  Ferdi- 
nand. Make  it  evident  that  this  is  no  laughing  matter,  etc. 

NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.         225 


LETTER  VIH. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

BURGOS,  November  14,  1808. 

Affairs  move  here  with  great  activity.     The  weather  is  very 
fine.    We  are  successful.    My  health  is  good.    NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

November  26,  1808. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  I  hope  that  your  health  may 
be  as  good  as  mine  is,  though  I  am  very  much  occupied. 
All  things  move  prosperously  here.  I  think  that  you  ought  to 
return  to  the  Tuileries,  by  the  21st  of  December,  and  to  com- 
mence, from  that  date,  giving  a  concert  every  week.  Entirely 
thine.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  My  love  to  Hortense  and  to  Monsieur  Napoleon. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

December  7,  1808. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  28th.  I  see  with  pleas- 
ure that  you  are  well.  You  have  seen  that  the  young  Tascher 
has  conducted  himself  nobly.  That  gives  me  much  pleasure. 
My  health  is  good. 

The  weather  here  is  like  the  last  fortnight  of  May  in  Paris. 
We  have  it  warm  and  no  fire,  except  at  night,  when  it  is  quite 
cold.  Madrid  is  tranquil.  All  my  affairs  are  prosperous. 
Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  My  love  to  Hortense  and  to  Monsieur  Napoleon. 
10* 


226  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  XL 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

December  10,  1808. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  You  tell  me  that 
the  weather  is  bad  in  Paris.  We  have  here  the  most  delight- 
ful weather  in  the  world.  Tell  me,  I  pray  you,  what  is  the 
meaning  of  the  reductions  made  hy  Hortense.  They  tell  me 
that  she  is  sending  back  her  domestics.  Do  they  refuse  her 
the  number  which  is  necessary  ?  Say  to  me  a  word  upon 
that  subject.  Such  reductions  are  indecorous. 

Adieu,  my  love.  We  have  the  most  delightful  weather. 
Every  thing  is  prosperous.  I  entreat  you  to  take  good  care 
of  your  health.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

December  21,  1808. 

You  ought  to  enter  the  Tuileries  on  the  12th.  I  hope  that 
you  will  be  pleased  with  your  apartments. 

I  have  authorized  the  presentation  to  you  of  Kourakin. 
Receive  him  kindly,  and  make  him  enjoy  himself  while  with 
you.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  am  very  well.  The  weather  is 
rainy ;  it  is  a  little  cold.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

December  22,  1808. 

I  leave  this  instant  to  march  against  the  English  who  seem 
to  have  received  reinforcements  and  to  wish  to  bluster  a  little. 
The  weather  is  beautiful;  my  health  is  perfect.  Have  no 
solicitude,  NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        227 

The  English,  under  Sir  John  Moore,  commenced  their  re- 
treat from  Sahugun  on  the  evening  of  the  24th.  On  the  27th 
Napoleon  wrote  to  Joseph,  "  I,  with  all  the  troops  that  have 
come  from  Madrid,  am  on  the  right  of  the  English.  Their 
number  appears  to  be  about  thirty-six  thousand.  I  shall  reach 
Medina  de  Rio  Seco  to-day ;  and  either  to-day  or  lo-morrow, 
great  events  will  probably  take  place.  If  the  English  have 
not  already  retreated  they  are  lost ;  and  if  they  retire,  they 
will  be  pursued  so  vigorously  to  their  ships,  that  certainly  one 
half  of  them  will  not  re-embark." 

Three  days  after  this,  on  the  31st,  Napoleon  wrote  to 
Joseph : 

"  My  vanguard  is  near  Astorga.  The  English  are  running 
away  as  fast  as  they  can,  abandoning  ammunition,  drums,  and 
baggage.  There  are  more  than  two  hundred  carriages  on  the 
Astorga  road.  The  English  have  not  only  cut  the  bridges, 
but  have  undermined  and  blown  up  the  arches,  a  barbarous 
and  unusual  use  of  the  rights  of  war,  as  it  ruins  the  country 
to  no  purpose.  They  are  therefore  abhorred  by  every  body. 
They  have  carried  off  every  thing,  oxen,  mattresses,  blankets, 
and  then  maltreated  and  beaten  the  inhabitants.  There  could 
not  have  been  a  better  sedative  for  Spain,  than  to  send  here  an 
English  army. 


LETTER  XTV. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

BENEVENTO,  December  31,  1808. 

My  love — I  have  been  for  several  days  pursuing  the  En- 
glish, but  they  fly  in  terror.  They  have  meanly  abandoned 
the  wrecks  of  the  army  of  Romany,  that  their  flight  might 
not  be  retarded  by  a  single  half  day.  More  than  one  hun- 
dred baggage-wagons  are  already  taken.  The  weather  is  very 
bad. 

Lefebvre  has  been  taken.     He  got  himself,  with  three  hun- 


228  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

dred  horsemen,  into  an  affray.  These  braggadocios  crossed  the 
river  by  swimming,  and  plunged  into  the  midst  of  the  English 
cavalry.  They  slew  many  of  them,  but  on  their  return,  Lefeb- 
vre  had  his  iiorse  wounded.  He  was  drowning,  when  the 
current  swept  him  upon  the  bank  where  the  English  were. 
He  was  taken.  Console  his  wife. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Bessieres,  with  ten  thousand  horse,  is  at 
Astorga. 

NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  A  happy  new  year  to  every  body. 

On  the  same  day,  Napoleon  thus  alludes  to  this  event  in  a 
letter  to  Joseph :  "  General  Lefebvre,  in  command  of  the  chas- 
seurs of  my  guard,  has  allowed  himself  to  be  taken  prisoner. 
I  had  sent  him,  with  a  detachment  of  chasseurs,  to  reconnoiter, 
desiring  him  to  run  no  risks.  He  crossed  the  river  opposite 
Benevento,  and  found  there  three  thousand  British  horse.  He 
charged  them,  killed  a  great  many,  but  was  forced  to  yield  to 
numbers.  In  attempting  to  recross  the  river,  his  horse  was 
wounded,  and  he  was  drowning  when  two  of  the  English 
saved  him.  This  affair  has  cost  me  sixty  of  my  chasseurs 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  You  may  conceive  how  much 
it  has  annoyed  me.  In  the  evening,  I  brought  eight  thousand 
cavalry  to  the  spot,  but  the  English  were  far  away." 


LETTER  XV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

January  3,  1809. 

I  have  received,  my  love,  your  letters  of  the  18th  and  of 
the  21st.  I  am  pursuing  the  English,  the  sword  at  their  loins. 
The  weather  is  cold  and  rigorous,  but  every  thing  goes  well. 
Adieu,  my  love.  Entirely  thine.  A  happy  and  a  very  happy 
new  year  to  my  Josephine. 

NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          229 


LETTER  XVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PARIS. 

BENEVENTO,'  January  5,  1809. 
My  love — I  write  a  word.     The  English  are  in  utter  rout. 

1  The  Castle  of  Benevento  is,  if  we  except  the  Castle  of  Heidelberg, 
perhaps  the  most  imposing  relic  which  now  remains  of  feudal  magnifi- 
cence. Southey  gives  the  following  fine  description  of  its  present  as- 
pect of  decayed  grandeur : 

"  The  castle  of  Benevento  is  one  of  the  finest  models  of  the  age  of 
chivalry ;  nothing  in  England  approaches  to  it  in  magnificence.  Berke- 
ley, Bjaby,  and  even  "Warwick  are  poor  fabrics  in  comparison.  With 
Gothic  grandeur,  it  has  the  richness  of  Moorish  decoration ;  open  al- 
coves, where  Saracenic  arches  are  supported  by  pillars  of  porphyry  and 
granite ;  cloisters  with  fountains  playing  in  their  courts,  jasper  columns 
and  tesselated  floors,  niches  all  over  and  seats  in  the  walls,  over- 
arched in  various  forms,  and  enriched  with  every  grotesque  adornment 
of  gold  and  silver,  and  colors  which  are  hardly  less  gorgeous.  It  be- 
longed to  the  Duke  of  Osruna,  and  the  splendor  of  old  times  was  still 
continued  there. 

"The  extent  of  this  magnificent  structure  maybe  estimated  from 
the  single  circumstance  that  two  regiments,  besides  artillery,  were 
quartered  within  its  walls ;  they  proved  the  most  destructive  enemies 
that  had  ever  entered  them.  The  officers,  who  felt  and  admired  the 
beauties  of  this  venerable  pile,  attempted  in  vain  to  save  it  from  de- 
struction. Every  thing  combustible  was  seized,  fires  were  lighted 
against  the  fine  walls,  and  pictures  of  unknown  value,  the  works  per- 
haps of  the  greatest  Spanish  masters,  were  heaped  together  as  fuel." 

Napoleon  drove  these  English  soldiers,  of  whom  Southey  speaks, 
from  the  Castle,  and  took  possession  of  it  himself  The  French  soldiers 
protected  the  edifice  with  scrupulous  care.  The  British  army,  during 
this  retreat,  were  in  the  most  shameful  state  of  brutal  disorganization. 
Sir  Archibald  Alison  says : 

"  The  native  and  ineradicable  vice  of  northern  climates,  drunken- 
ness, here  appeared  in  frightful  colors.  The  great  wine  vaults  of  Bem- 
bebre  proved  more  fatal  than  the  sword,  of  the  enemy ;  and  when  the 
gallant  rear-guard,  which  preserved  its  ranks  unbroken,  closed  up  the 
array,  they  had  to  force  their  way  through  a  motley  crowd  of  the  Eu- 
glish  and  the  Spanish  soldiers,  stragglers  and  marauders,  who  reeled 


230  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  have  charged  the  Duke  of  Dalmatia1  to  pursue  them,  the 
sword  at  their  loins.  I  am  well.  The  weather  is  bad.  Adieu, 
my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVII. 

NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPH. 

BENEVENTO,  January  6,  1809. 

My  brother — I  thank  you  for  your  wishes  in  reference  to 
the  new  year.  I  have  no  hopes  that  Europe  will  be  at  peace 
this  year.  I  expect  it  so  little  that  I  yesterday  signed  a  decree 
for  raising  one  hundred  thousand  men.  The  fierce  hatred  of 
England,  the  events  at  Constantinople,  every  thing  presages 
that  the  hour  of  repose  and  tranquillity  has  not  yet  struck. 
As  for  you,  it  seems  as  if  your  realm  were  becoming  tranquil. 

NAPOLEON. 

The  above  letter  was  written  in  reply  to  the  following  from 


LETTER 

JOSEPH   TO    NAPOLEON. 

LA  FLORIDA,  January  1,  1809. 

j^Sire — I  beg  your  Majesty  to  accept  my  wishes,  that  in  the 
course  of  the  present  year,  Europe,  pacified  through  your  ex- 
ertions, may  render  justice  to  your  intentions.  May  Europe, 
as  does  France  and  your  family,  bless  the  labors  of  your  Maj- 
esty, and  witness  everywhere  prosperity  and  happiness. 

JOSEPH. 

out  of  the  houses  in  disgusting  crowds,  or  lay  stretched  on  the  road- 
side, an  easy  prey  to  the  enemy's  cavalry,  which  thundered  in  close 
pursuit." 

'  Marshal  Soult. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          231 

LETTER  XIX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

January  9,  1809. 

Moustache  brings  me  a  letter  from  you,  of  the  31st  of  De- 
cember. I  see,  my  love,  that  you  are  sad,  and  that  you  are 
oppressed  with  the  deepest  anxiety.  Austria  will  not  make 
war  against  me,  but  if  she  does,  I  have  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men  in  Germany,  and  as  many  upon  the  Rhine,  and 
four  hundred  thousand  Germans,  with  whom  to  meet  her. 
Russia  will  not  separate  herself  from  me.  They  are  simpletons 
at  Paris.  Every  thing  is  prosperous. 

I  shall  be  in  Paris  as  soon  as  I  think  it  to  be  important.  It 
is  a  beautiful  day,  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning.  But,  adieu, 
my  love.  I  am  well,  and  entirely  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

Josephine  was  rendered  very  unhappy  by  the  indications  of 
a  new  coalition  which  was  being  organized  in  the  north.  Na- 
poleon, pursuing  the  English,  left  Astorga  in  a  snow-storm. 
He  had  proceeded  but  a  few  miles,  when  he  was  overtaken  by 
a  courier,  bearing  dispatches  of  great  importance.  Napoleon 
alighted  from  his  horse,  and  read  them  by  the  wayside.  They 
contained  the  tidings  that  Austria,  taking  advantage  of  his 
absence  in  Spain,  had  entered  into  a  coalition  with  England 
again  to  attack  him  ;  that  the  Turks,  exasperated  by  his  alli- 
ance with  Alexander,  were  assuming  a  threatening  aspect  in 
the  East ;  that  the  queen-mother  of  Russia,  and  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  nobles,  were  unceasingly  bitter  in  their  hostility, 
since  Napoleon  would  not  consent  to  the  annexation  of  Con- 
stantinople to  Russia. 

Thus  suddenly  blazed  forth  the  flames  of  another  continental 
war.  Napoleon  read  the  dispatches,  and  uttering  not  a  word, 
rode  back  sadly  to  Astorga.  He  then,  having  commissioned 
Marshal  Soult  to  pursue  the  enemy,  made  immediate  prepara- 
tions for  his  return  to  Paris. 


232  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Just  before  Napoleon  left  Spain  to  return  to  Paris,  he  wrote 
to  Joseph  a  letter  containing  the  following  directions  : 

LETTER  XX. 

NAPOLEON   TO    JOSEPH. 

VALLADOLID,  January  16,  1809. 

My  brother — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  14th.  You 
must  not  write  to  me  that  you  have  received  such  and  such  a 
letter,  and  that  what  it  prescribes  shall  be  executed.  It  is 
necessary  to  repeat,  in  detail,  the  order,  and  state,  point  by 
point,  its  execution.  By  these  means  I  shall  have  at  once  be- 
fore my  eyes,  the  orders  which  have  been  given,  the  execution 
which  they  have  received,  and  I  shall  be  enabled  to  see  if  they 
have  been  understood. 

The  court  of  alcades,  at  Madrid,  has  acquitted,  or  onlv  sen- 
tenced, thirty  wretches  whom  Belliard  had  arrested  ;  a  court- 
martial  must  be  appointed  to  try  them  over  again,  and  shoot 
the  guilty.  Give  orders,  immediately,  that  the  members  of 
the  Inquisition,  and  of  the  Council  of  Castile,  who  are  detained 
in  La  Porcelaine,  be  removed  to  Bayonne,  as  well  as  the  hun- 
dred wretches  arrested  by  Belliard. 

Five  sixths  of  the  population  of  Madrid  are  well-disposed. 
But  the  honest  people  have  need  of  encouragement,  and  that 
can  only  be  given  by  protecting  them  against  the  mob.  Here 
they  did  every  thing  which  could  be  done,  to  obtain  pardon 
for  the  bandits  who  had  been  condemned.  I  refused  ;  I  had 
them  hanged ;  and  I  have  since  seen  that  in  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts,  the  very  people  who  solicted  their  pardon,  are 
very  glad  that  I  did  not  listen  to  them.  I  think  it  essential 
that  your  government,  particularly  at  first  starting,  should 
show  some  vigor  against  the  mob.  The  mob  loves  and  re- 
spects only  those  whom  it  fears.  And  it  is  only  by  being 
feared  by  the  mob  that  you  can  make  yourself  loved  and  es- 
teemed by  the  rest  of  the  nation. 

If  my  presence  should  become  indispensable,  I  think  that  I 


NAPOLEON    TO     JOSEPH.  233 

might  return  by  the  30th  of  February,  and  that  I  might  even 
spend  the  months  of  March  and  April  here.  You  know  that 
I  do  not  love  to  live  in  cities.  Give  orders  that  they  should 
keep  Chamartin  in  readiness  for  me,  both  the  house  which  I 
occupied,  and  the  one  opposite ;  let  persons  be  put  in  to  take 
charge  of  them,  that  I  may  go  there  immediately  on  my 
return.  NAPOLEON. 

The  Marquis  of  Londonderry,  a  British  nobleman,  and  a 
colonel  in  the  second  British  regiment  of  Life  Guards,  says,  in 
his  story  of  the  Peninsular  War  : 

"  The  prospect  of  that  rupture  with  Prussia  that  ended  with 
the  peace  of  Tilsit,  struck  Godoy  as  furnishing  a  favorable  op- 
portunity of  stirring  up  all  Europe  against  a  man  whose  am- 
bition seemed  to  be  unbounded.  A  secret  arrangement  was 
accordingly  entered  into  between  him  and  the  embassador, 
Strogonoff  (the  Russian  Minister),  into  which  the  Portuguese 
envoy  was  admitted,  that  the  two  kingdoms  of  Spain  and  Por- 
tugal should  instantly  arise,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking 
France  at  a  moment  when  her  troops  should  be  called  away, 
to  oppose  the  Emperor  of  Russia  on  the  north.  These  prepa- 
rations were  to  begin  in  Portugal,  with  the  ostensible  view  of 
overawing  which,  Spain  was  next  to  increase  her  armies,  while 
expeditions  were  being  fitted  out  in  the  English  ports,  a  combined 
force  was  to  invade  the  south  of  France,  which  it  was  believed 
would  not  be  in  a  state  to  offer  any  efficient  opposition.  Had 
Bonaparte,  as  soon  as  the  designs  of  Spain  became  known  to 
him,  directed  his  victorious  legions  upon  Madrid,  the  dethrone- 
ment of  Charles  would  have  been  viewed  by  the  rest  of  Eu- 
rope as  an  arrangement  of  self-defense." 

Napoleon,  considering  the  safety  of  France  dependent  upon 
the  removal  of  the  perfidious  Bourbons  from  the  throne  of 
Spain,  who  were  ever  threatening  him  with  a  stab  in  the  back, 
endeavored  to  accomplish  this  all-important  object  without 
exposing  the  unoffending  people  to  the  horrors  of  war.  "  He 
never,"  says  the  Marquis  of  Londonderry,  "  effected  that  by 


234  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

force  of  arms  which  he  believed  it  practicable  to  effect  by  di- 
plomacy." Afid  again  says  the  same  authority :  "  But  the 
event  to  which  the  Peninsula  owed  its  escape  from  immediate 
conquest,  was  the  unlocked  for  arming  of  Austria,  and  conse- 
quent departure  of  Bonaparte  to  another  scene  of  operations." 

"  To  restore  Ferdinand  to  Spain,"  writes  Colonel  Na- 
pier, "  England  expended  one  hundred  millions  sterling 
($500,000,000),  on  her  own  operations.  She  subsidized  Spain 
and  Portugal  besides,  and  with  her  supply  of  clothing,  arms, 
and  ammunition,  maintained  the  armies  of  both,  even  to  the 
guerillas.  From  forty  to  seventy  thousand  troops  were  em- 
ployed by  her,  constantly,  and  while  her  naval  squadrons  con- 
tinually harassed  the  French  with  descents  upon  the  coast,  her 
land  forces  fought  and  won  nineteen  pitched  battles,  and  innu- 
merable combats ;  they  killed  and  took  about  two  hundred 
thousand  enemies,  and  the  bones  of  forty  thousand  British 
soldiers  lie  scattered  on  the  plains  and  mountains  of  the  Pe- 
ninsula." 

The  world  can  look  at  the  condition  of  Spain  now,  and  see 
the  fruit  of  this  expenditure  of  treasure  and  blood. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

LETTERS  DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  IN  GERMANY  IN  1809. 

NAPOLEON  returned  from  Spain  to  Paris,  and  arrived  at  the 
Tuileries  in  the  night  of  the  22d  of  January.  He  immedi- 
ately commenced  vigorous  preparations  to  repel  the  attack 
with  which  he  was  threatened  from  Austria,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to  avert  hostilities.  All 
his  exertions  for  peace  were  in  vain. 

"  The  Emperor  Francis,"  says  Bourrienne,  "  notwithstanding 
the  instigation  of  his  counselors,  hesitated  about  taking  the 
first  step  ;  but  at  length  yielding  to  the  open  solicitations  of 
England,  and  the  secret  insinuations  of  Russia,  and,  above  all, 
seduced  by  the  subsidies  of  Great  Britain,  he  declared  hostil- 
ities, not  first  against  France,  but  against  her  allies  of  the  Con- 
federation of  the  Rhine." 

On  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  April,  the  Austrian  Arch- 
duke Charles,  crossed  the  Inn,  invading  the  territory  of  Bava- 
ria and  marched  resolutely  upon  Munich,  the  capital  of  that 
kingdom.  Austria  had  equipped  an  army  of  five  hundred 
thousand  troops  for  this  new  and  unprovoked  war. 

Two  days  aftff  this,  on  the  12th,  at  ten  o'clock  at  night, 
Napoleon  received  a  telegraphic  dispatch  informing  him  of 
the  commencement  of  hostilities.  As  he  read  the  dispatch 
he  calmly  remarked, 

"  Very  well.  Behold  us  once  more  at  Vienna.  But  what 
do  they  wish  now  ?  Has  the  Emperor  of  Austria  been  bitten 
by  a  tarantula  ?  Well !  since  they  force  me  to  it,  they  shall 
have  war  to  their  heart's  content." 


5*30  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

In  an  hour  he  was  in  his  carriage,  with  Josephine  seated  by 
his  side.  He  traveled  day  and  night  until  he  reached  Stras- 
bourg. Here  he  left  Josephine,  and  crossing  the  Rhine,  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  army.  In  reference  to  this  cam- 
paign, Sir  Walter  Scott  says  : 

"  At  no  period  in  his  momentous  career,  did  the  genius  of 
Napoleon  appear  more  completely  to  prostrate  all  opposition ; 
at  no  time  did  the  talents  of  a  single  individual  exercise  such 
an  influence  on  the  fate  of  the  universe.  The  forces  he  had 
in  the  field  had  been,  not  only  unequal  to  those  of  the  enemy, 
but  they  were,  in  a  military  point  of  view,  ill  placed  and  im- 
perfectly combined.  Napoleon  arrived  alone,  found  himself 
under  all  these  disadvantages,  and,  we  repeat,  by  his  almost  un- 
assisted genius,  came,  in  the  course  of  five  days,  in  complete 
triumph  out  of  a  struggle  which  bore  a  character  so  unprom- 
ising. It  was  no  wonder  that  others,  nay,  that  himself,  should 
have  annexed  to  his  person  the  degree  of  superstitious  influ- 
ence claimed  for  the  chosen  instrument  of  destiny,  whose  path 
must  not  be  crossed  and  whose  arms  can  not  be  arrested." 


LETTER   I. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

DONAUWOERTH,  April  18,  1809. 

I  arrived  here  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  am  leav- 
ing. Every  thing  is  in  motion.  Military  operations  are  in 
great  activity. 

Up  to  the  present  moment,  there  is  nothing  new.  My 
health  is  good.  Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

In  reference  to  these  movements,  Colonel  Napier  says : 
"  Berthier,  incapable  of  acting  a  principal  part,  was  surprised 
and  made  a  succession  of  false  movements  that  would  have 
been  fatal  to  the  French  army,  if  the  Emperor,  journeying 


NAPOLEON   TO  JOSEPHINE.         237 

day  and  night,  had  not  arrived  at  the  very  hour  when  his 
lieutenant  was  on  the  point  of  consummating  the  ruin  of  the 
army.  But  then  was  seen  the  supernatural  force  of  Napoleon's 
genius.  In  a  few  hours  he  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs,  and, 
in  a  few  days,  mauger  their  immense  numbers,  his  enemies, 
baffled  and  flying  in  all  directions,  proclaimed  his  mastery  in 
an  art  which,  up  to  that  moment,  was  imperfect ;  for  never, 
since  troops  first  trod  a  battle-field  was  such  a  display  of 
military  skill  made  by  man." 


LETTER  II. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT    STRASBOURG. 

May  6,  1809;  noon. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.      The  ball  which 
touched  me  has  not  wounded  me.     It  just  grazed  the  tenci 
of  Achilles. 

My  health  is  very  good.  You  are  wrong  to  be  anxious. 
My  affairs  here  are  very  prosperous.  Wholly  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  Kind  remembrances  to  Hortense  and  the  Duke  of 
Berg.1 

The  wound  to  which  the  Emperor  here  refers  was  received 
at  Ratisbon.  While  Napoleon  was  guiding  the  assault  upon 
this  city  a  bullet  struck  him  upon  the  foot.  The  news  spread 
that  the  Emperor  was  wounded.  The  soldiers  broke  from 
their  ranks,  crowded  around  him,  for  he  had  dismounted,  and 
the  wound  was  dressed  upon  the  spot.  Napoleon  smiled 
kindly  upon  them  and  assured  them  that  the  wound  was  a 
mere  trifle.  He  soon  mounted  his  horse  again  and  was 
greeted  with  a  shout  of  joy  which  rose  distinctly  above  the 
uproar  of  the  battle. 

1  The  son  of  Hortense,  an  older  brother  of  Napoleon  in. 


CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  m. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

SAINT-POTTEN,  May  9,  1809. 

My  love — I  write  to  you  from  Saint-Pot  ten.  To-morrow,  I 
shall  be  before  Vienna ;  that  will  be  exactly  one  mouth  after 
the  very  day  on  which  the  Austiians  passed  the  Inn,  and  vio- 
lated the  peace. 

My  health  is  good,  the  weather  splendid,  and  the  soldiers 
in  fine  spirits  ;  there  is  wine  here. 

May  you  be  well.     Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

SCHOENBRUNN,  May  12,  1809. 

I  have  dispatched  the  brother  of  the  Duchess  of  Montebello 
to  inform  you  that  I  am  master  of  Vienna,  and  that  every 
thing  here  is  entirely  prosperous.  My  health  is  very  good. 

NAPOLEON. 

Before  the  commencement  of  this  campaign,  Napoleon,  ex- 
ceedingly anxious  to  avert  hostilities,  had  an  interview  with 
M.  Metternich,  the  Austrian  embassador  at  Paris,  in  reference 
to  the  vast  armies  which  Austria  was  raising,  and  thus  ad- 
dressed him : 

"  Why  these  armaments  ?  Why  agitate  yourselves  and 
Europe  ?  Why  put  peace  in  jeopardy  and  ruin  your 
finances  ?" 

M.  Metternich  hypocritically  replied,  "These  armaments, 
sire,  are  only  defensive." 

Napoleon  mildly  but  firmly  rejoined,  "Were  your  arma- 
ments only  defensive,  they  would  not  be  so  hurried.  When 
new  organizations  are  to  be  created  one  takes  time,  does 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        239 

nothing  abruptly.  Things  are  done  best  that  are  done  slowly. 
One  does  not,  under  such  circumstances,  erect  magazines,  or- 
der assemblages  of  troops,  and  buy  horses.  Your  army 
amounts  to  nearly  four  hundred  thousand  men.  Were  I  to 
imitate  you,  I  should  add  four  hundred  thousand  men  to  my 
effective  force.  That  would  be  an  armament  out  of  all  reason. 
I  will  not  follow  your  example.  It  would  soon  be  necessary 
to  arm  women  and  children,  and  we  should  relapse  into  a  state 
of  barbarism. 

a  Wherefore  all  this  military  preparation  ?  Have  I  de- 
manded any  thing  of  you  ?  Have  I  advanced  claims  to  any 
of  your  provinces  ?  The  treaty  of  Presbourg  has  settled  all 
the  claims  between  the  two  empires.  Your  master's  word 
ought  to  have  settled  every  thing  between  the  two  sovereigns. 
I  demand  nothing  of  you.  I  want  nothing  of  you,  excepting 
mutual  quiet  and  security.  Is  there  any  difficulty — any  one 
difficulty,  between  us  ?  Let  it  be  known,  that  it  may  be  set- 
tled upon  the  spot." 

M.  Metternich,  with  Austrian  perfidy,  allowed  himself  to 
say,  "  The  Austrian  government,  sire,  has  no  thought  of  at- 
tacking France.  It  has  not  ordered  any  movement  of  troops." 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  Napoleon  with  quiet  dignity  rejoined. 
"  Assemblages  of  troops  have  taken  place  in  Gallicia  and  Bo- 
hemia, in  front  of  the  quarters  of  the  French  army.  The  fact 
is  incontestable.  The  immediate  result  must  be  the  assemblage 
of  equal  forces  on  the  French  side.  I  must  consequently,  in- 
stead of  demolishing  the  fortresses  of  Silesia,  repair,  arm,  and 
provision  them,  and  put  every  thing  again  upon  a  war  footing. 
You  are  well  aware  that  I  shall  not  be  taken  by  surprise.  I 
shall  be  always  prepared. 

"  You  rely  perhaps  upon  aid  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 
You  deceive  yourself.  I  am  certain  of  his  adhesion,  of  the 
disapprobation  he  has  manifested  respecting  your  armaments, 
and  of  the  course  he  will  adopt  on  the  occasion.  Do  not  im- 
agine then  that  the  opportunity  is  a  favorable  one  for  attack- 
ing France.  It  would  be  a  grievous  mistake  on  your  part. 


240  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

"  You  do  not  desire  war.  I  believe  it  of  you,  M.  Metter- 
nich,  of  your  Emperor,  and  of  the  enlightened  men  of  your 
country.  But  the  German  nobility,  dissatisfied  with  the  changes 
which  have  occurred,  fill  Germany  with  their  rancor.  You 
allow  yourselves  to  be  influenced.  You  communicate  your 
emotions  to  the  masses  in  urging  them  to  arm.  By  and  by 
you  will  be  brought  to  that  point  at  which  one  longs  for  a 
crisis,  as  a  means  of  escaping  out  of  an  insupportable  situa- 
tion. That  crisis  will  be  war.  Moral  and  physical  nature 
alike,  when  they  are  come  to  that  troubled  state  which  pre- 
cedes the  storm,  have  need  to  explode,  in  order  to  pacify  the 
air  and  bring  back  serenity.  This  is  what  I  fear  from  your 
present  conduct.  I  repeat  to  you,  I  want  nothing  of  you.  I 
demand  nothing  but  peace.  But  if  you  make  preparations,  I 
shall  make  such  that  the  superiority  of  my  arras  will  not  be 
more  doubtful  than  in  the  preceding  campaigns.  Thus,  in 
order  to  preserve  peace,  we  shall  have  brought  on  war." 

This  remarkable  conversation  was  held  in  the  presence  of 
the  ministers  of  several  of  the  other  European  courts.  It  is  given 
in  full  by  Thibaudeau.  In  reference  to  it,  Sir  Archibald  Alison 
says :  "  How  easily  may  Napoleon's  ideas  and  words  be  always 
distinguished  from  those  of  all  other  men  !  At  least,  he 
always  lets  us  understand  his  meaning;  no  inconsiderable 
advantage  ,jn  the  midst  of  the  general  studied  obscurity  and 
evasions  of  diplomatic  language." 


LETTER  V. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

May  28th,  1809. 

I  dispatched  a  page  to  inform  you  that  Eugene  has  rejoined 
me  with  all  his  army ;  that  he  has  perfectly  discharged  the 
service  which  I  assigned  him ;  that  he  has  almost  entirely 
destroyed  the  army  of  the  enemy  which  was  opposed  to 
him. 


NAPOLEON    TO    HORTENSE.  241 

I  send  you  my  proclamation  to  the  army  of  Italy,  which 
will  enable  you  fully  to  comprehend  the  whole.1 

I  am  very  well.     Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 

P.  S.  You  can  have  this  proclamation  printed  at  Strasbourg, 
and  translated  into  French  and  German,  that  it  may  be  circu- 
lated throughout  all  Germany.  Return  to  the  page,  who  is 
going  to  Paris,  a  copy  of  the  proclamation. 


LETTER  VI. 

NAPOLEON   TO    HOETENSE. 

EBERSDORF,  May  28,  1809. 

My  daughter — I  am  very  much  displeased  that  you  should 
have  left  France  without  my  permission,  and  particularly  that 
you  should  have  taken  my  nephews  from  France.  Since  you 
are  at  the  waters  of  Baden,  remain  there.  But  in  one  hour 
after  the  reception  of  this  letter,  send  my  two  nephews  to 
Strasbourg,  near  to  the  Empress.  They  ought  never  to  leave 
France.  It  is  the  first  time  that  I  have  had  occasion  to  be 
dissatisfied  with  you.  But  you  ought  not  to  dispose  of  my 

1  The  following  is  the  proclamation  to  which  Napoleon  refers  : 
"  Soldiers  I  In  a  month  after  the  enemy  passed  the  Inn,  on  the  same 
day,  at  the  same  hour,  we  entered  Vienna.  Their  militia,  their  levies 
en  masse,  their  ramparts,  created  by  the  impotent  rage  of  the  princes 
of  the  bouse  of  Lorraine,  have  fallen  at  the  first  sight  of  you.  The 
princes  of  that  house  have  abandoned  their  capital,  not  like  soldiers  of 
honor,  who  yield  to  circumstances  and  the  reverses  of  war,  but  as  per- 
jurers haunted  by  the  sense  of  their  own  crimes.  In  flying  from  Vi- 
enna, their  orders  have  been  murder  and  conflagration.  Like  Medea, 
they  have,  with  their  own  hands,  murdered  their  own  offspring.  Sol- 
diers I  the  people  of  Vienna,  according  to  the  expression  of  a  deputa- 
tion of  the  suburbs,  'abandoned,  widowed,'  shall  be  the  object  of  our 
regard.  I  take  its  good  citizens  under  my  special  protection.  As  to 
thu  turbulent  and  wicked,  they  shall  meet  with  exemplary  justice. 
Let  us  exhibit  no  marks  of  haughtiness  or  pride,  but  regard  our 
triumphs  as  a  proof  of  the  divine  justice,  which  punishes  by  our 
hands  the  ungrateful  and  the  perjured." 
11 


242  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

nephews  without  my  permission.     You  ought  to  perceive  the 
mischievous  effect  which  that  may  produce. 

Since  the  waters  of  Baden  are  beneficial  to  you,  you  can 
remain  there  some  days ;  but  I  repeat  to  you  do  not  delay  for 
a  moment  sending  my  nephews  to  Strasbourg.  Should  the 
Empress  go  to  the  waters  of  Plombieres  they  can  accompany 
her  there ;  but  they  ought  never  to  cross  the  bridge  of  Stras- 
bourg. 

Your  affectionate  father,  NAPOLEON. 

This  letter  was  sent  to  Josephine  to  be  transmitted  by  her 
to  Hortense.  She  received  it  on  the  first  of  June,  and  imme- 
diately sent  it  to  her  daughter  with  the  following  letter : 

LETTER   VII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE. 

STRASBOURG,  June  1,  1809. 

I  send  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  a  letter  from  the  Emperor 
for  you.  I  was  so  anxious  at  not  having  heard  from  him  that 
I  opened  it.  I  see  with  pain  that  he  was  dissatisfied  with  your 
sojourn  at  the  waters  of  Baden.  I  entreat  you  to  write  to 
him  immediately  that  you  had  anticipated  his  wishes,  and  that 
your  children  are  with  me ;  that  you  have  had  them  but  a 
few  days  that  you  might  see  them,  and  give  them  a  change 
of  air. 

The  page  who  was  announced  to  me  in  the  letter  by  Mene- 
val  has  not  yet  arrived.  I  hope  that  he  will  bring  me  a  letter 
from  the  Emperor,  and  that  at  least  he  will  not  be  so  dis- 
pleased with  me  because  you  have  been  at  Baden.  Your 
children  have  arrived  in  very  good  health.  Adieu,  my  be- 
loved daughter.  I  embrace  you.  JOSEPHINE. 

In  the  tumultuous  state  of  Europe  at  that  time  it  was  not 
safe  for  the  nephews  of  Napoleon  to  be  out  of  France.  The 
youngest  of  these  two  children  is  now  Emperor  of  France. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          243 

The  elder,  Napoleon  Louis,  died  in  Switzerland  in  1831.     He 
had  married  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Bonaparte. 


LETTER  VIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

May  29,  1809;  7  o'clock,  p.  M. 

My  love — I  have  been  here  since  yesterday.  I  am  detained 
by  the  river.  The  bridge  has  been  burned ;  I  shall  pass  at 
midnight.  Every  thing  here  is  just  as  I  could  wish,  that  is  to 
say,  very  well. 

The  Austrians  are  thunderstruck.  Adieu,  my  love.  Wholly 
thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  IX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   STRASBOURG. 

May  31,  1809. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  26th.  I  have  written  that  you 
can  go  to  Plombieres ;  I  do  not  care  to  have  you  go  to  Baden ; 
it  is  not  necessary  to  leave  France.  I  have  ordered  the  two 
Princes  to  return  to  France. 

The  loss  of  the  Duke  of  Montebello,1  who  died  this  morn- 

1  Marshal  Lannes.  He  was  one  of  Napoleon's  most  devoted  friends. 
At  the  battle  of  Essling  he  was  struck  by  a  cannon-ball  which  carried 
away  both  of  his  legs.  Just  as  Napoleon  was  informed  of  the  disas- 
ter, he  perceived  a  litter  approaching,  which  bore  the  dying  marshal. 
Though  the  battle  was  then  raging  with  terrific  fury,  the  Emperor,  for- 
getful of  every  thing  in  his  overwhelming  grief,  rushed  to  the  litter, 
and  clasping  the  hand  of  Lannes,  while  tears  gushed  from  his  eyes, 
exclaimed, 

" Lannes  1  do  you  know  me?  It  is  the  Emperor;  it  is  Bonaparte ; 
it  is  your  friend.  Lannes,  you  will  yet  be  preserved  to  us." 

The  fainting,  dying  warrior  languidly  raised  his  eyes  to  the  Em- 
peror, and  said, 

"  I  wish  to  live  to  serve  you  and  my  country ;  but  in  an  hour  you 


244  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

ing,  has  afflicted  me  very  much.  Thus  all  things  end  ! ! 
Adieu,  my  love;  if  you  can  do  any  thing  to  comfort  the 
poor  Duchess  do  it. 

Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   STRASBOURG. 

June  9,  1809. 

I  have  received  your  letter ;  I  learn  with  pleasure  that  you 

are  going  to  the  baths  of  Plombieres  ;  they  will  do  you  good. 

Eugene  is  in  Hungary  with  his  army.     I  am  well ;  the 

weather  is  fine.     I  see  with  pleasure  that  Hortense  and  the 

Duke  of  Berg  are  in  France. 

Adieu,  my  love.     Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XL 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PLOMBlfeRES. 

SCHOEtTORUNN,  June  16,  1809. 

I  dispatch  a  page  to  announce  to  you,  that,  on  the  14th, 
the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Marengo,  Eugene  gained  a 
battle  against  the  Archduke  John,  and  the  Archduke  Pala- 
tiu,  at  Raab,  in  Hungary,  that  he  took  from  them  three  thou- 
sand men,  several  pieces  of  ordnance,  four  standards,  and  has 
passed  them  a  long  distance  on  the  road  to  Buda. 

NAPOLEON. 

will  have  lost  your  most  faithful  companion  in  arms,  and  your  best 
friend.     May  you  live  and  save  the  army." 

He  lingered  for  a  few  days  in  great  pain,  and  then  died.  Napoleon 
did  not  forget  the  family  of  his  friend.  He  appointed  the  Duchess  of 
Montebello,  lady  of  honor  to  the  Empress,  and  ever  after  watched  over 
her  interests  with  fraternal  care. 


JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTENSE.  245. 

LETTER   XII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PLOMBIERES. 

June  19,  1809;  middiy. 

•  I  received  your  letter,  in  which  you  tell  me  of  your  depart- 
ure for  Plombieres.  I  hear  of  this  journey  with  pleasure, 
because  I  hope  it  will  do  you  good. 

Eugene  is  in  Hungary  and  is  well.     My  health  is  very  good 
and  the  array  is  in  good  condition. 

I  am  very  glad  to  learn  that  the  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  is 
with  you. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  you  know  my  affection  for  Josephine ;  it 
is  unchangeable.     Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

ST.  CLOUD,  June  19,  1809. 

I  have  learned,  my  dear  Hortense,  with  much  pleasure,  by 
Mademoiselle  Cochelet,  that  you  have  arrived  at  Bagneres, 
and  that  you  were  pleased  with  the  country  which  you  have 
traversed.  She  has  informed  me,  also,  as  I  charged  her  to  do, 
that  you  begin  to  have  a  fuller  consciousness  of  your  griefs. 
This  gives  me  much  hope  for  the  re-establishment  of  your 
health.  That  hope  reconciles  me  more  to  the  failure  of  my 
own.  I  am  gaining  but  very  slowly,  and  have  become  very 
thin.  But  I  am  happy  to  have  your  son  with  me.  He  is 
charming.  I  am  attached  to  him  more  and  more  in  thinking 
that  he  will  be  a  solace  to  you.  His  little  reasons  amuse  me 
much.  You  need  feel  no  solicitude  respecting  his  health.  He 
grows  every  day,  and  his  complexion  is  very  fine. 

I  have  still  another  subject  of  satisfaction  which  you  will 
share  with  me.  Eugene  has  informed  me  that  his  wife  is 
enciente.  I  wish  very  much  to  join  you,  but  the  Emperor  has 


246  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

not  replied  to  the  article  in  my  letter,  in  which  I  made  the  re- 
quest. We  begin  to  think  that  he  will  be  able  to  return  here 
during  the  month  of  August.  That  is  what  I  desire  above  all 
things,  but  I  dare  not  hope  for  it.  His  health  is  always  very 
good. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  Say  to  Mademoiselle  Cochelet 
that  I  appreciate  her  attention,  and  that  I  request  of  her,  al- 
ways, the  same  promptness.  You  ought  to  receive  many  let- 
ters from  me.  I  am  far  from  you,  but  I  frequently  embrace 
your  son,  and  love  to  imagine  to  myself  that  it  is  my  dear 
daughter  whom  I  embrace.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  -XIV. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   PLOMBIERES. 

EBERSDOEF,  July  7,  1809;  5  o'clock,  A.M. 

I  dispatch  a  page  to  bear  to  you  the  good  news  of  the  vic- 
tory of  Ebersdorf,  which  I  gained  on  the  5th,  and  that  of 
Wagram,  which  I  gained  on  the  6th. 

The  enemy  flies  in  disorder,  and  all  succeeds  according  to 
my  wishes. 

Eugene  is  well.  The  Prince  Aldobrandini  is  wounded,  but 
slightly. 

Bessieres  was  struck  by  a  ball  on  the  thigh ;  the  wound  is 
very  trifling.  Lasalle  was  killed.  My  losses  are  quite  large, 
but  the  victory  is  decisive  and  complete.  We  have  more  than 
a  hundred  pieces  of  ordnance,  twelve  standards,  and  many 
prisoners.  I  am  sunburned. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  I  embrace  you.  Kind  regards  to  Hor- 
tense. NAPOLEON. 

The  Emperor  of  Austria  now  found  it  necessary  to  come  to 
terms  of  peace.  He  sent  M.  Babna,  a  confidential  pnvoy,  to 
Napoleon.  Napoleon  received  him  kindly,  and  said,  in  char- 
acteristic language  of  ingenuousness  and  sincerity  : 


NAPOLEON   TO   JOSEPHINE.        247 

"  If  you  will  deal  honestly  with  me,  we  will  bring  matters 
to  a  conclusion  in  forty-eight  hours.  I  desire  nothing  from 
Austria.  I  have  no  great  interest  in  procuring  a  million  more 
of  inhabitants  for  Saxony  or  for  Bavaria.  You  know  very 
well  that  it  is  for  my  true  interests,  either  to  destroy  the  Aus- 
trian monarchy,  by  separating  the  three  crowns  of  Austria, 
Bohemia,  and  Hungary,  or  to  attach  Austria  to  me  by  a  close 
alliance.  To  separate  the  three  crowns  would  require  more 
bloodshed.  Though  I  ought,  perhaps,  to  settle  the  matter  in 
that  way,  I  give  you  my  word  that  I  have  no  wish  to  do  so. 

"  The  second  plan  suits  me.  But  how  can  a  friendly  alli- 
ance be  expected  of  your  Emperor  ?  He  has  good  qualities, 
but  he  is  swayed  by  the  violence  and  animosities  of  those 
about  him.  There  would  be  one  way  of  bringing  about  a  sincere 
and  firm  alliance.  It  is  reported  that  the  Emperor  Francis  is 
weary  of  his  crown.  Let- him  abdicate  in  favor  of  his  brother, 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Wurzburg,  who  likes  me,  and  whom  I  like. 
Let  this  be  done,  and  I  will  withdraw  from  Austria  without 
demanding  a  province  or  a  farthing,  notwithstanding  all  the 
war  has  cost  me.  I  shall  consider  the  repose  of  the  world  as 
secured  by  that  event.  Perhaps  I  will  do  still  more,  and  give 
to  Austria  the  Tyrol,  which  the  Bavarians  know  not  how  to 
govern." 

M.  Babna  replied  :  "  If  the  Emperor  Francis  thought  this 
possible,  he  would  abdicate  immediately.  He  would  rather 
insure  the  integrity  of  his  empire  for  his  successors,  than  re- 
tain the  crown  upon  his  own  head." 

"  Well,"  Napoleon  continued,  "  if  this  be  so,  I  authorize  you 
to  say  that  I  will  give  up  the  whole  empire  on  the  instant,  with 
something  more,  if  your  master,  who  often  declares  himself 
disgusted  with  the  throne,  will  cede  it  to  his  brother.  The  re- 
gards mutually  due  between  sovereigns,  forbid  me  to  propose 
any  thing  on  this  subject.  But  you  may  hold  me  as  pledged, 
should  the  supposition  I  make  be  realized.  Nevertheless,  I  do 
not  believe  that  this  sacrifice  will  be  made." 


248  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  XV. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT    PLOMBIERES. 

July  9,  1809 ;  2  o'clock,  A.  M. 

Every  thing  here  is  going  on  as  I  wish,  my  love.  My  ene- 
mies are  defeated,  beaten,  and  wholly  routed.  They  were  very 
numerous :  I  have  crushed  them.  My  health  is  good  to-day  ; 
yesterday  I  had  a  slight  bilious  attack,  occasioned  by  so  much 
fatigue,  but  it  did  me  great  good. 

Adieu,  my  love  ;  I  am  well.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PLOMBIERES. 

Camp,  before  Znaim,  July  13,  1809. 

I  send  you  the  truce  which  was  concluded  yesterday,  with 
the  Austrian  general.  Eugene  is  on  the  border  of  Hungary, 
and  is  well.  Send  a  copy  of  the  truce  to  Cambaceres,  in  case 
he  may  not  already  have  received  it. 

I  embrace  thee,  and  am  very  well.  NAPOLEON. 

You  can  have  this  truce  printed  at  Nancy. 


LETTER  XVII. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT   PLOMBIERES. 

July  17,  1809. 

My  love — I  have  sent  a  page  to  you.  You  will  have  learned 
the  issue  of  the  battle  of  Wagram,  and  since  of  the  truce  of 
Znaira. 

My  health  is  good.     Eugene  is  very  well ;  and  I  desire  to 
hear  that  you  are  well,  and  also  Hortense. 
Embrace  the  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  for  me. 

NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.         249 

LETTER  XVIH. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    PLOMBIERES. 

July  24,  1809. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  18th  of  July.  I  learn  with 
pleasure  that  the  baths  have  been  beneficial.  I  see  nothing  to 
prevent  your  going  to  Malmaison,  when  you  have  finished 
your  baths. 

The  heat  is  very  great  here.     My  health  is  very  good. 
Adieu,  my  love.     Eugene  is  at  Vienna,  and  very  well. 

Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XIX.  * 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PLOMBIERES. 

SCHOENBKUNN,  August  7,  1809. 

I  see  by  your  letter  that  you  are  at  Plombieres,  and  that 
you  intend  to  remain  there.  You  do  well.  The  baths  and 
the  fine  climate  must  be  beneficial  to  you. 

I  remain  here.  My  health  and  my  affairs  are  just  as  I 
wish. 

I  beg  you  to  give  my  kind  regards  to  Hortense  and  to  the 
Napoleons.  Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   PARIS. 

SCHOEXBR0NN,  August  21,  1809. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  14th  of  August  from 
Plombieres.  I  see  by  that,  you  must  have  arrived  at  Paris  on 
the  18th,  or  at  Maltnaison.  You  must  have  been  ill  from  the 
beat,  which  is  very  great  here.  Malmaison  must  be  very  dry 
and  parched  by  this  time. 

My  health  is  good.  I  have,  however,  a  slight  cold  from  the 
heat.  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON, 

11* 


250  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER   XXI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

SCHOENBRUNN,  August  26,  1809. 

I  received  your  letter  from  Malmaison.  I  have  heard  that 
you  are  fleshy,  fresh,  and  blooming.  I  assure  you  that  Vi- 
enna is  not  an  interesting  city.  I  wish  very  much  to  be  at 
Paris. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  go  to  the  play  twice  a  week.  It  is 
quite  common-place.  It  whiles  away  the  evening.  There  are 
fifty  or  sixty  ladies  in  Vienna,  mais  au  parterre,  comme  n'ayant 
pas  ete  presentees.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   MALMAISON.         * 

August  31,  1809. 

I  have  not  received  letters  from  you  for  many  days.  The 
pleasures  of  Malmaison,  the  beautiful  green-houses  and  the 
delightful  gardens,  cause  the  absent  to  be  forgotten  ;  that  is 
the  case,  they  say,  with  you  all.  Every  one  speaks  continu- 
ally of  your  fine  health :  this,  however,  I  receive  with  some 
distrust. 

I  am  going  to-morrow  to  spend  two  days  in  Hungary  with 
Eugene.  My  health  is  quite  good.  Adieu,  my  love.  Wholly 
thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XXIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

KEMS,  September  9,  1809. 

My  love — I  arrived  here  yesterday  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  :  I  came  in  order  to  see  my  troops.    My  health  was 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          251 

never  better.     I  know  that  you  are  well.     I  shall  be  in  Paris 
at  a  moment  when  nobody  expects  me. 

Every  thing  goes  well  here,  and  to  my  satisfaction.    Adieu, 
my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXTV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAI8ON. 

September  23,  1809. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  16th.  I  see  that  you  are  well. 
The  house  of  the  old  maid's  is  worth  only  120,000  francs ; 
they  will  never  get  more  for  it.  Nevertheless,  I  leave  it  to 
you  to  do  as  you  choose,  since  that  pleases  you ;  but,  once 
purchased,  do  not  tear  it  down  in  order  to  pile  up  there  some 
rocks.  v  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

September  26,  1809. 

I  received  your  letter.  Do  not  be  too  confident,  and  I  warn 
you  to  keep  a  careful  watch  at  night ;  for  one  of  these  com- 
ing days  you  will  hear  a  great  noise. 

My  health  is  good.     I  know  not  what  they  report.     I  have 
not  been  better  for  years.     I  have  not  needed  Corvisart. 
Adieu,  my  love.    All  goes  well  here.    Wholly  thine. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

October  14,  1809. 

My  love — I  write  to  inform  you  that  peace  was  signed  be- 
tween Champagny  and  Prince  Metternich,  two  hours  sinc6. 
Adieu,  mv  love.  NAPOLEON. 


Iio2  CONFIDE  NTIAi      LETTERS. 

Napoleon  signed  this  treaty  with,  but  little  confidence  in  the 
honor  of  Austria.  "  He  could  not  forget,"  says  Baron  Mene- 
val,  "  that  twelve  years  before  Austria  had  implored  peace 
when  the  French  were  at  Leoben,  and  thaf,  as  soon  as  he  was 
in  Egypt  she  had  again  grasped  arms ;  that  she  had  again 
signed  the  treaty  of  Luneville  after  the  defeat  of  Hohenlinden, 
which  she  violated  when  she  saw  us  seriously  occupied  in  pre- 
paring for  the  descent  upon  England ;  that  she  had  signed 
again  a  treaty  of  peace  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  which 
she  again  violated  when  she  hoped  to  surprise  Napoleon  while 
pursuing  the  English  in  the  heart  of  Spain  ;  and  that  now  she 
reluctantly  sheathed  the  sword  only  because  Napoleon  was  in 
possession  of  Vienna." 


LETTER  XXVH. 

TO   THE   EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

NYMPHENBOTJRG,  near  Munich,  October  21,  1809. 

I  have  been  here  since  yesterday,  and  am  very  well.  I 
shall  not  leave  until  to-morrow.  I  shall  stop  one  day  in  Stutt- 
gard.  You  will  be  informed  twenty-four  hours  in  advance  of 
my  arrival  at  Fontainebleau.  To  see  you  will  be  a  festival  day 
for  me,  and  I  await  that  moment  with  impatience. 

I  embrace  you.     Wholly  thine.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXVIII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  MALMAISON. 

MUNICH. 

My  love — I  leave  in  an  hour.  I  shall  arrive  at  Fontaine- 
bleau on  the  26th  or  27th.  You  can  repair  there  with  some 
of  your  ladies.  NAPOLEON. 

Just  before  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed,  a  deputation 
from  one  of  the  Austrian  provinces  called  upon  Napoleon, 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          253 

soliciting  relief  from  some  burdens  imposed  upon  them  by  the 
presence  of  the  French  army.     Napoleon  said  to  them  : 

"GENTLEMEN — I  am  aware  of  your  suifeiings.  I  join  with 
you  in  lamenting  the  evils  entailed  upon  your  people  by  the 
conduct  of  your  government,  but  I  can  afford  you  no  relief. 
Scarcely  four  years  have  elapsed  since  your  sovereign  pledged 
his  word,  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  that  he  would  never 
again  take  up  arms  against  me.  I  trusted  that  a  perpetual 
peace  was  cemented  between  us ;  and  I  have  not  to  reproach 
myself  with  having  violated  its  conditions.  Had  I  not  firmly 
relied  upon  the  protesta'ious  of  sincerity  which  were  then 
made  to  me,  rest  assured  that  I  should  not  have  retired  as  I 
did  from  the  Austrian  territories.  Monarchs  forfeit  the  rights 
which  have  been  vested  in  them  by  the  public  confidence, 
from  the  moment  that  they  abuse  such  rights  and  draw  down 
such  heavy  calamities  upon  nations." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

LETTERS    IN    THE    YEAR    1809    AND   1810,   DURING    THE 
FIRST  THREE  MONTHS  AFTER  THE  DIYORGE. 

THE  divorce  of  Josephine  was  the  great  wrong  and  calam- 
ity of  Napoleon's  life.  In  reference  to  this  event  the  Duke 
of  Rovigo,  who  was  better- acquainted  with  Napoleon's  secret 
thoughts  than  perhaps  any  other  person,  writes : 

"  A  thousand  idle  stories  have  been  related  concerning  the 
Emperor's  motives  for  breaking  the  bonds  which  he  had  con- 
tracted upward  of  fifteen  years  before,  and  separating  from 
one  who  was  the  partner  of  his  existence  during  the  most 
stormy  events  of  his  glorious  career.  It  was  ascribed  to  his 
ambition  to  connect  himself  with  royal  blood ;  and  malevo- 
lence has  delighted  in  spreading  the  report,  that  to  this  con- 
sideration he  had  sacrificed  every  other.  This  opinion  was 
quite  erroneous,  and  he  was  as  unfairly  dealt  with  upon  the 
subject  as  all  persons  are,  who  happen  to  be  placed  above  the 
level  of  mankind. 

"  Nothing  can  be  more  true  than  that  the  sacrifice  of  the 
object  of  his  affections  was  the  most  painful  that  he  expe- 
rienced throughout  his  life,  and  that  he  would  have  preferred 
adopting  any  other  course  than  the  one  to  which  he  was 
driven  by  the  motives  which  I  am  about  to  relate.  Public 
opinion  was,  in  general,  unjust  to  the  Emperor  when  he  placed 
the  imperial  crown  upon  his  head.  A  feeling  of  personal 
ambition  was  supposed  to  be  the  mainspring  of  all  his  actions. 
This  was,  however,  a  very  mistaken  impression.  I  have  al- 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          255 

ready  mentioned  with  what  reluctance  he  had  altered  the 
form  of  government,  and  that  if  he  had  not  been  apprehen- 
sive that  the  state  would  fall  again  a  prey  to  those  dissensions 
which  are  inseparable  from  an  elective  form  of  government, 
he  would  not  have  changed  an  order  of  things  which  ap- 
peared to  have  been  the  first  solid  conquest  achieved  by  the 
Revolution.  Ever  since  he  had  brought  the  nation  back  to 
monarchical  principles,  he  had  neglected  no  means  of  consoli- 
dating institutions  which  permanently  secured  those  princi- 
ples, arid  yet  firmly  established  the  superiority  of  modern 
ideas  over  antiquated  customs.  Differences  of  opinion  could 
no  longer  create  any  disturbance  respecting  the  form  of  gov- 
ernment when  his  career  should  be  closed. 

"  But  this  was  not  enough.  It  was  further  requisite  that 
the  line  of  inheritance  should  be  defined  in  so  clear  a  manner, 
that,  at  his  death,  no  pretense  might  be  made  for  the  conten- 
tion of  any  claimants  to  the  throne ;  for  if  such  a  misfortune 
were  to  take  place,  the  least  foreign  intervention  would  have 
sufficed  to  revive  a  spirit  of  discord  among  us.  This  feeling 
of  personal  ambition  consisted,  in  this  case,  in  a  desire  to  hand 
his  work  down  to  posterity,  and  to  resign  to  his  successor  a 
stale  resting  upon  his  numerous  trophies  for  its  stability.  He 
could  not  be  blind  to  the  fact,  that  the  perpetual  warfare  into 
which  a  jealousy  of  his  strength  had  plunged  him,  had,  in 
reality,  no  other  object  than  his  own  downfall,  because  with 
him  must  necessarily  crumble  that  gigantic  power  which  was 
no  longer  upheld  by  the  revolutionary  energy  he  had  himself 
repressed. 

"The  Emperor  had  not  any  children.  The  Empress  had 
two.  But  he  never  could  have  entertained  a  thought  of  them, 
without  exposing  himself  to  the  most  serious  inconveniences. 
I  believe,  however,  that  if  the  two  children  of  the  Empress 
had  been  the  only  ones  of  his  family,  he  would  have  made 
some  arrangements  for  securing  his  inheritance  to  Eugene. 
He,  however,  dismissed  the  idea  of  appointing  him  his  heir, 
because  he  had  nearer  relations,  and  it  would  have  given  rise 


256  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

to  disunions,  which  it  was  his  principal  object  to  avoid.  He 
also  considered  the  necessity  in  which  he  was  placed,  of  form- 
ing an  alliance  sufficiently  powerful,  in  order  that  in  the  event 
of  his  system  being  at  any  time  threatened,  that  alliance 
might  be  a  resting-point,  and  save  him  from  total  ruin.  He 
likewise  hoped  that  it  would  be  the  means  of  putting  an  end 
to  that  series  of  wars  of  \vhich  he  was  desirous,  above  all 
things,  to  avoid  a  recurrence.  These  were  the  motives  which 
determined  him  to  break  a  union  so  long  contracted.  He 
wished  it  less  for  himself  than  for  the  purpose  of  interesting 
a  powerful  state  in  the  maintenance  of  the  order  of  things 
established  in  France.  He  reflected  often  on  the  mode  of 
making  this  communication  to  the  Empress.  Still  he  was 
reluctant  to  speak  to  her.  He  was  apprehensive  of  the  con- 
sequence of  her  tenderness  of  feeling.  His  heart  was  never 
proof  against  the  shedding  of  tears." 

The  divorce  was  consummated  on  the  15th  of  December, 
1809.  The  whole  imperial  family,  and  the  most  illustrious 
officers  of  the  empire  were  then  assembled.  Funereal  gloom 
oppressed  them  all.  Napoleon,  with  a  pallid  cheek,  but  with 
a  firm  voice,  thus  addressed  them : 

"  The  political  interests  of  my  monarchy,  and  the  wishes  of 
my  people,  which  have  constantly  guided  my  actions,  require 
that  1  should  transmit  to  an  heir  inheriting  my  love  for  the 
people  the  throne  on  which  Providence  has  placed  me.  For 
many  years  I  have  lost  all  hopes  of  having  children  by  my 
beloved  spouse,  the  Empress  Josephine.  It  is  this  considera- 
tion which  induces  me  to  sacrifice  the  dearest  affections  of 
my  heart.  But  there  is  no  sacrifice  too  great  for  my  courage, 
when  it  is  proved  to  be  for  the  interests  of  France. 

"  Far  from  having  cause  of  complaint,  I  have  nothing  to  say 
but  in  praise  of  the  attachment  and  tenderness  of  my  beloved 
wife.  She  has  embellished  fifteen  years  of  my  life,  and  the 
remembrance  of  them  will  be  forever  engraven  on  my  heart. 
She  was  crowned  by  my  hand.  She  shall  always  retain  the 
title  and  rank  of  Empress.  Above  all,  let  her  never  doubt 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          257 

my  affection,  or  regard  me  but  as  her  best  and  dearest 
friend." 

Napoleon  having  ended,  Josephine  rose  to  express  her  as- 
sent. She  held  a  paper  in  her  hand,  which  she  attempted  to 
read.  But,  overwhelmed  with  uncontrollable  emotion,  sobs 
choked  her  utterance,  and  she  was  unable  to  proceed.  Sink- 
ing into  a  chair,  she  handed  the  paper  to  M.  Reynaud,  and 
buried  her  face  in  her  handkerchief.  He  read  her  declaration 
as  follows  : 

"  With  the  permission  of  my  august  and  dear  spouse  I 
must  declare  that,  retaining  no  hope  of  having  children  who 
may  satisfy  the  requirements  of  his  policy  and  the  interests  of 
France,  I  have  the  pleasure  of  giving  him  the  greatest  proof 
of  attachment  and  devotedness  that  was  ever  given  on  earth. 
I  owe  all  to  his  bounty.  It  was  his  hand  that  crowned  me, 
and  on  his  throne  I  have  received  only  manifestations  of  affec- 
tion and  love  from  the  French  people.  I  respond  to  all  the 
sentiments  of  the  Emperor,  in  consenting  to  the  dissolution  of 
a  marriage  which  is  now  an  obstacle  to  the  happiness  of 
France,  by  depriving  it  of  the  blessing  of  being  one  day  gov- 
erned by  the  descendants  of  that  great  man  who  was  evi- 
dently raised  up  by  Providence  to  efface  the  evils  of  a  terrible 
revolution,  and  to  restore  the  altar,  the  throne,  and  social  or- 
der. But  the  dissolution  of  my  marriage  will  in  no  respect 
change  the  sentiments  of  my  heart.  The  Emperor  will  ever 
find  in  me  his  best  friend.  I  know  how  much  this  act,  com- 
manded by  policy  and  exalted  interests,  has  rent  his  heart. 
But  we  both  glory  in  the  sacrifices  we  make  for  the  good  of 
the  country." 

"  After  these  words,"  says  Thiers,  "  the  noblest  ever  uttered 
under  such  circumstances,  for  never,  it  must  be  confessed,  did 
vulgar  passions  less  prevail  in  an  act  of  this  kind,  Napoleon, 
embracing  Josephine,  led  her  to  her  own  apartment,  where  he 
left  her,  almost  fainting  in  the  arms  of  her  children." 

The  grief  of  Napoleon  was  unquestionably  sincere.  It 
could  not  but  be  so.  He  ardently  loved  Josephine,  and  he 


258  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

had  formed  no  new  attachment  whatever.  Vagrant  passions 
had  never  influenced  him.  In  dejection,  he  retired  to  the 
seclusion  of  the  Little  Trianon  at  Versailles.  The  divorce 
was  a  funereal  act,  and  it  seemed  decorous  that  it  should  be  ac- 
companied by  the  externals  of  mourning.  The  Emperor  left 
the  Tuileries,  for  the  solitude  of  Versailles,  the  morning  after 
the  consummation  of  this  melancholy  tragedy. 

"  The  orders  for  the  departure  for  Trianon,"  says  the  Baron 
Meneval,  Napoleon's  private  secretary,  "  had  been  previously 
given.  When  in  the  morning  the  Emperor  had  been  in- 
formed that  his  carriages  were  ready,  he  took  his  hat,  and 
said,  '  Meneval,  come  with  me.'  I  followed  him  by  the  little 
winding  staircase  which,  from  his  cabinet,  communicated  with 
the  apartment  of  the  Empress.  Josephine  was  alone,  and  ap- 
peared absorbed  in  the  most  melancholy  reflections.  At  the 
noise  which  we  made  in  entering,  she  eagerly  rose,  and  threw 
herself  sobbing  upon  the  neck  of  the  Emperor.  He  pressed 
her  to  his  bosom  with  the  most  ardent  embraces.  In  the  ex- 
cess of  her  emotion  she  fainted.  I  rang  the  bell  for  succor. 
The  Emperor,  wishing  to  avoid  the  renewal  of  scenes  of  an- 
guish which  he  could  no  longer  alleviate,  placed  the  Empress 
in  my  arms  as  soon  as  she  began  to  revive.  Directing  me  not 
to  leave  her,  he  hastily  retired  to  his  carriage,  which  was 
waiting  for  him  at  the  door. 

"The  Empress,  perceiving  the  departure  of  the  Emperor, 
redoubled  her  tears  and  moans.  Her  women  placed  her  upon 
a  sofa.  She  seized  my  hands,  and  franticly  urged  me  to  en- 
treat Napoleon  not  to  forget  her,  and  to  assure  him  that  her 
love  would  survive  every  event.  She  made  me  promise  to 
write  her  immediately  on  my  arrival  at  Trianon,  and  to  see 
that  the  Emperor  wrote  to  her  also.  She  could  hardly  con- 
sent to  let  me  go,  as  if  my  departure  would  break  the  last  tie 
which  still  connected  her  with  the  Emperor. 

"  I  left  her,  deeply  moved  by  the  exhibition  of  a  grief  so 
true,  and  an  attachment  so  sincere.  I  was  profoundly  sad- 
dened during  my  ride,  and  I  could  not  refrain  from  deploring 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        259 

the  rigorous  exigences  of  state  which  rudely  sundered  the 
ties  of  a  long-tried  affection,  to  impose  another  union  offering 
only  uncertainties.  Having  arrived  at  the  Trianon,  I  gave  the 
Emperor  a  faithful  account  of  all  that  had  transpired  after  his 
departure.  He  was  still  oppressed  by  the  melancholy  scenes 
through  which  he  had  passed.  He  dwelt  upon  the  noble 
qualities  of  Josephine,  and  upon  the  sincerity  of  the  affection 
which  she  cherished  for  him.  He  ever  after  preserved  for  her 
the  most  tender  attachment.  The  same  evening  he  wrote  to 
her  a  letter  to  console  her  solitude." 


The  first  letter  from  Napoleon  to  Josephine,  after  the  di- 
vorce, which  has  been  preserved,  is  as  follows  : 

LETTER  I. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   MALMAISON. 

December,  1809  ;  8  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
My  love — I  found  you  more  feeble  to-day  than  you  ought 
to  be.  You  have  exhibited  much  fortitude,  and  it  is  necessary 
that  you  should  still  continue  to  sustain  yourself.  You  must 
not  yield  to  funereal  melancholy.  Strive  to  be  tranquil,  and 
above  all  to  preserve  your  health,  which  is  so  precious  to  me. 
If  you  are  attached  to  me,  if  you  love  me,  you  must  maintain 
your  energy,  and  strive  to  be  cheerful.  You  can  not  doubt 
my  constancy,  and  my  tender  affection.  You  know  too  well 
all  the  sentiments  with  which  I  regard  you,  to  suppose  that  I 
can  be  happy  if  you  are  unhappy,  that  I  can  be  serene  if  you 
are  agitated.  Adieu,  my  love.  May  you  have  peaceful  sleep. 
Believe  that  I  wish  it.  NAPOLEON. 


The  day  after  Napoleon's  arrival  at  Trianon,  in  the  follow- 
ing laconic  note  he  communicated  the  tidings  of  the  divorce 
to  his  brother  Joseph,  King  of  Spain  : 


260  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  n. 

NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPH. 

TRIANON,  December  17,  1809. 

Sire,  my  brother — I  send  your  Majesty  the  Moniteur,  which 
will  inform  your  Majesty  of  the  step  which  I  have  thought  it 
my  duty  to  take. 

I  received  your  Majesty's  letter  of  the  4th  of  December,  by 
the  aide-de-camp  intrusted  with  it.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  III. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Tuesday,  6  o'clock. 

The  Queen  of  Naples,  whom  I  have  just  seen  at  the  chase 
in  the  woods  of  Boulogne,  where  I  ran  down  a  stag,  informed 
me  that  she  saw  you  yesterday  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  that  you  were  very  well.  I  pray  you  to  tell  me  what  you 
are  doing  to-day.  As  for  me,  I  am  very  well.  Yesterday, 
when  I  saw  you,  I  was  sick.  I  think  that  you  have  been  out 
to  walk.  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 

The  beautiful  palace  of  Malmaison  had  been  assigned  to 
Josephine  for  her  residence.  She  still  retained  the  title  of 
Empress,  and  received  an  income  of  six  hundred  thousand 
dollars  a  year. 


LETTER  IV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

("Without  date),  7  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  my  love.     Savary  tells  rne  that 
you  weep  continually.     That  is  not  right.     I  hope  that  you 


NAPOLEON  TO   JOSEPHINE.        261 

will  be  able  to  go  out  to  walk  to-day.  I  sent  you  a  line  from 
the  chase.  I  shall  go  to  see  you,  as  soon  as  you  inform  me 
that  you  are  reasonable,  and  that  your  fortitude  resumes  its 
ascendancy.  To-morrow,  all  the  day,  I  shall  be  occupied  with 
the  ministers. 

Adieu,  my  love.  I  am  as  sad  as  the  weather  is  gloomy.  I 
have  need  to  know  that  you  are  tranquil,  and  to  learn  that 
you  have  regained  your  self-control.  May  you  have  peaceful 
sleep.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  V. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Thursday,  at  noon,  December,  1809. 

I  have  wished  to  go  to  see  you  to-day,  my  love,  but  I  am 
very  much  occupied,  and  a  little  unwell.  Nevertheless,  I  am 
going  to  the  cabinet  council.  I  beg  you  to  inform  me  how 
you  are.  The  weather  is  very  damp,  and  not  at  all  healthy. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  VI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

TRIANON,  Tuesday. 

I  went  to  bed,  yesterday,  after  you  left  me.  I  am  going  to 
Paris.  I  hope  you  will  be  cheerful.  I  am  coming  to  see  you 
during  the  week. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  which  I  shall  read  in  the  car- 
riage. 

NAPOLEON. 


262  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER  VTI. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS   AT    MALMAISON. 

Wednesday  noon. 

Eugene  has  told  me  that  you  were  very  sad  yesterday. 
That  is  not  right,  my  love.  It  is  contrary  to  what  you  have 
promised  me.  1  have  been  very  lonely  in  returning  to  the 
Tuileries.  This  great  palace  appears  to  me  empty,  and  I  find 
myself  in  solitude.  Adieu,  my  love.  Be  careful  of  your 
health.  NAPOLEON. 

Napoleon  remained  eight  days  at  the  Trianon.  During  this 
time  he  visited  Josephine  at  Malmaison,  and  also  received  her 
with  Hortense,  to  dine  at  the  Trianon.  At  the  close  of  the 
eight  days  he  returned  to  Paris,  where  he  remained  hard  at 
work,  in  his  cabinet  at  the  Tuileries,  for  three  months.  He 
was  calm,  but  joyless — and  a  general  gloom  surrounded  him. 


LETTER  VIII. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

PARIS,  Friday. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  I  see  with  pain  that 
you  have  been  sick.  I  fear  that  it  can  not  be  otherwise  in  this 
dismal  weather.  Madame  de  T.  is  one  of  the  most  silly  of 
women.  I  have  for  a  long  time  endured  her  tittle-tattle.  I 
am  weary  of  it,  and  have  ordered  that  she  shall  no  more  re- 
turn to  Paris.  There  are  five  or  six  other  such  women,  whom 
I  equally  desire  to  send  from  Paris.  They  corrupt  the  young 
by  their  indecencies. 

I  will  name  Madame  de  Makau  baroness,  since  you  desire  it, 
and  will  also  fulfill  your  other  commissions. 

My  health  is  pretty  good.  The  conduct  of  B.  appears  to 
me  very  ridiculous.  I  hope  to  hear  that  you  are  well. 

Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          263 

LETTER   IX. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Sunday,  6  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

I  have  to-day  a  grand  parade,  my  love.  I  shall  see  all  my 
Old  Guard,  and  sixty  trains  of  artillery. 

The  King  of  Westphalia1  is  going  from  here  to  his  king- 
dom, which  will  leave  one  vacant  house  in  Paris.  I  am  very 
sad  in  not  seeing  you.  If  the  parade  is  over  at  three  o'clock, 
I  shall  go — otherwise,  to-morrow. 

Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  X. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS   AT   MALMAISON. 

Thursday  evening. 

Hortense,  whom  I  have  seen  this  afternoon,  has  given  me, 

my  love,  news  from  you.     I  hope  that  you  will  have  been  out 

to-day,  to  see  your  plants,  the  weather  has  been  so  fine.     I  have 

been  out  but  a  moment,  at  three  o'clock,  to  shoot  some  hares. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  may  you  have  peaceful  sleep. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

Friday,  8  o'clock ;  1810. 

I  wish  very  much  to  see  you  to-day,  but  shall  not  be  able 
I  hope  for  that  pleasure  to-morrow.  It  is  a  long  time  since 
you  have  given  me  any  tidings  about  yourself.  I  have  learned 
with  pleasure  that  you  have  been  walking  in  your  garden  dur- 
ing this  cold  weather. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Take  care  of  your  health,  and  never  doubt 
of  my  affection.  NAPOLEON. 

1  Jerome  Bonaparte. 


264  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 


LETTER  XII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

Sunday,  8  o'clock  in  the  evening;  1810. 

I  was  very  happy  in  seeing  you,  yesterday.  I  perceive  how 
much  your  society  has  charms  for  me.  I  have  been  busy  to- 
day with  Esteve.  I  have  granted  twenty-five  thousand  dollars 
for  1810,  for  the  improvement  of  Malmaison.  You  can  there- 
fore plant  as  much  as  you  wish,  and  can  distribute  the  sum  as 
you  approve. 

I  have  charged  Esteve  to  remit  fifty  thousand  dollars  as  soon 
as  the  contract  with  the  house  of  Julien  shall  be  made.  I  have 
ordered  that  you  should  receive  your  set  of  rubies,  which  will 
be  valued  by  the  intendant,  as  I  do  not  wish  for  any  pilfering 
by  the  jewelers.  All  this  will  cost  me  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

I  have  ordered  that  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars which  the  civil  list  owes  you,  for  1808,  should  be  held 
subject  to  the  order  of  your  agent,  for  the  payment  of  your 
debts. 

You  will  find  in  the  closet  at  Malmaison,  one  hundred,  or 
a  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  You  can  take 
them  for  your  plate  and  wardrobe. 

I  have  ordered  that  a  very  beautiful  service  of  porcelain 
should  be  made  for  you.  They  will  receive  your  orders  that 
it  may  be  very  beautiful.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT    MALMAISON. 

Tuesday,  1810. 

I  should  have  gone  to  see  you  to-day,  if  I  had  not  been 
under  the  necessity  of  going  to  see  the  King  of  Bavaria,  who 
has  just  arrived  in  Paris.  I  shall  visit  him  this  evening  at 
eight  o'clock,  and  return  at  ten. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          265 

I  hope  to  see  you  to-morrow,  and  to  find  you  cheerful  and 
self-possessed.     Adieu,  iny  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

"Wednesday,  1810 ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

My  love — I  see  no  objection  to  your  receiving  the  King  of 
Wurtemberg  whenever  you  wish.  The  King  and  Queen  of 
Bavaria  will  visit  you  day  after  to-morrow. 

I  desire  greatly  to  go  to  Malmaison;  but  you  must  be 
strong  and  tranquil.  The  page  of  this  morning  says  that  he 
has  seen  you  weep. 

I  am  just  going  to  dine,  all  alone.  Adieu,  my  love ;  never 
doubt  my  affection  for  you.  If  you  do,  you  will  be  unjust 
and  wrong.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Saturday,  1810;  1  o'clock,  P.  M. 

My  love — I  saw  Eugene  yesterday,  who  has  informed  me 
that  you  will  receive  the  kings.  I  went  to  the  concert  at 
eight  o'clock,  and  dined,  alone,  not  till  that  hour. 

I  desire  to  see  you  very  much.  If  I  do  not  come  to-day  I 
will  come  after  mass.  Adieu,  my  love.  I  hope  to  find  you 
wise  and  in  good  health.  This  weather  must  weigh  heavily 
upon  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

TRIANON,  January  17,  1810. 

My  love — D'Audenarde,  whom  I  sent  to  you  this  morning, 
informs  me  that  you  have  no  more  fortitude  since  you  have 
12 


266  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

been  at  Malmaison.  And  yet  that  place  is  full  of  our  affec- 
tion which  will  not  and  can  not  ever  change,  at  least  on  my 
part. 

I  have  a  great  desire  to  see  you,  but  it  is  necessary  that  I 
should  be  sure  that  you  are  strong  and  not  feeble.  I  am  a 
little  weak  myself  and  that  makes  me  afraid.  Adieu,  Joseph- 
ine. Good-night.  If  you  doubt  my  love,  you  will  be  very 
ungrateful.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVII. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

January  20,  1810. 

I  send  you,  my  love,  the  box  which  I  promised  you  day  be- 
fore yesterday,  and  which  represents  the  isle  of  Lobau.  I 
was  a  little  fatigued  yesterday.  I  work  much  and  do  not  go 
out.  Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   MALMAISON. 

January  30,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  I  hope  that  the 
walk  which  you  took  yesterday,  to  show  your  conservatory, 
will  have  done  you  good.  I  shall  learn  with  pleasure  that 
you  are  at  the  Elysee,  and  shall  be  very  happy  to  see  you 
more  frequently ;  for  you  know  how  much  I  love  you. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   XIX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

Tuesday,  1810;  noon. 

I  learn  that  you  grieve.    That  is  not  right.     You  are  with- 
out confidence  in  me,  and  all  the  rumors  which  are  in  circu- 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          267 

lation  afflict  you.  That  is  not  to  know  me,  Josephine.  I  wish 
you  to  be  contented  and  cheerful,  and  if  I  do  not  learn  that 
you  are  so  I  shall  blame  you  severely. 

Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XX. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT    MALMAISON. 

Saturday,  1810  ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
I  have  said  to  Eugene,  that  you  are  more  ready  to  listen  to 
the  gossip  of  a  great  city  than  to  what  I  say  to  you  ;  that  it 
must  not  be  permitted  that  people  should  tell  you  idle  stories 
to  afflict  you. 

I  have  had  your  effects  transported  to  the  Elysee.  You 
will  come  immediately  to  Paris.  But  be  tranquil  and  con- 
tented and  have  entire  confidence  in  me.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Sunday,  1810 ;  9  o'clock. 

My  love — I  was  very  glad  to  see  you  day  before  yesterday. 
I  hope  to  go  to  Malmaison  during  the  week.  I  have  arranged 
your  affairs  here  and  have  ordered  that  every  thing  should  be 
carried  to  the  Elysee  Napoleon. 

I  pray  you  to  take  care  of  your  health.     Adieu,  my  love. 

NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXTI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   THE    ELYSEE   NAPOLEON. 

Friday,  1810 ;  6  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Savary,  upon  his  arrival,  gave  me  your  letter.  I  see  with 
pain  that  you  are  sad.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  did  not  hear 
of  the  fire. 


268  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  have  had  a  pleasant  time  at  Rambouillet.  Hortense  tells 
me  that  you  had  formed  the  plan  of  going  to  dine  at  Bes- 
sie res  and  of  returning  to  sleep  in  Paris.  I  am  very  sorry 
that  you  did  not  put  your  plan  into  execution. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  be  cheerful.  Believe  that  is  the  means 
of  pleasing  me.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXIII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   THE    ELYSEE    NAPOLEON. 

February  19,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  I  long  to  see  you, 
but  the  ideas  you  have  suggested  may  be  true,  and  there  may 
be  objections  to  our  residing  beneath  the  same  roof,  during 
the  first  year ;  and  still  the  country  seat  of  Bessieres  is  too  far 
distant  for  us  to  return  the  same  day ;  and  besides,  I  have  a 
slight  cold  and  am  not  sure  that  I  should  be  able  to  go  there. 
Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 

From  motives  of  delicacy,  Napoleon,  never  after  the  di- 
vorce saw  Josephine  alone.  He  often  conversed  with  her  for 
a  long  time  in  the  garden  at  Malmaison,  where  they  could  be 
seen,  but  not  overheard. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

LETTERS  WRITTEN  DURING  THE  TEAR  1810,  AFTER  THE 
MARRIAGE  OF  THE  EMPEROR  WITH  MARIA  LOUISA. 

ON  the  12th  of  March,  1810,  the  marriage  ceremony  was 
celebrated  in  Vienna  with  splendor  which  the  Austrian  capi- 
tal had  never  seen  paralleled.  The  Emperor  was  at  this  time 
in  Paris,  and  the  Archduke  Charles  of  Austria  received  the 
bride  as  proxy  for  Napoleon.  Maria  Louisa  was  conducted 
in  triumph  to  France.  Napoleon  had  never  yet  seen  his  wife. 
He  met  her  at  Compeigne.  The  marriage  was  again  cele- 
brated at  St.  Cloud  on  the  1st  of  April.  As  Malmaison  was 
but  a  few  miles  out  from  Paris,  and  very  near  St.  Cloud,  the 
Emperor,  to  save  Josephine  the  anguish  she  must  feel  in  lis- 
tening to  the  rejoicings  with  which  her  successor  would  be 
received  in  Paris,  assigned  to  her  the  rural  palace  of  Navarre, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Evreaux,  about  fifty  miles  from  the  metrop- 
olis. The  first  letter  in  the  chapter  was  written  on  the  day 
of  the  marriage  ceremony  in  Vienna. 


LETTER  I. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

March  12,  1810. 

My  love — I  hope  you  will  be  pleased  with  what  I  have  done 
for  Navarre.  You  will  see  in  it  a  new  proof  of  my  desire  to 
make  you  happy.  Take  possession  of  Navarre.  You  can  go 
there  on  the  25th  of  March,  to  spend  the  month  of  April. 

Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


270  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER   II. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    COMPEIGNE. 

NAVARRE,  April,  1810. 

I  have  arrived  here  in  good  health,  my  dear  Hortense, 
although  a  little  fatigued  by  the  jourriey.  I  have  been  sad- 
dened by  the  kind  reception  I  have  met.  The  inhabitants  of 
Evreaux  have  manifested  great  eagerness  at  my  arrival ;  but 
this  preparation  of  fetes  resembles  a  little  the  attentions  of 
condolence.  They  undoubtedly  pity  me  in  being  no  longer 
any  thing,  but  I  banish  all  these  gloomy  thoughts.  The  Em- 
peror is  happy,  and  he  ought  to  be  so  more  and  more.  This 
thought  is  a  great  consolation  to  me,  and  the  only  one  which 
sustains  my  fortitude. 

Navarre  will  become  a  beautiful  place  of  residence,  but  it 
demands  many  and  expensive  repairs.  Absolutely  every  thing 
is  to  be  renovated.  The  chateau  is  not  habitable.  The  per- 
sons whom  I  have  brought  with  me  have  but  one  chamber 
each,  and  neither  the  doors  nor  windows  will  shut.  My  room 
is  very  small  and  inconvenient,  and  the  wainscotings  are  in  a 
bad  condition.  The  park  is  magnificent.  It  is  a  valley  be- 
tween two  hills  planted  with  trees  of  the  grandest  beauty. 
But  there  is  too  much  water,  which  renders  the  situation  hu- 
mid and  unhealthy.  Navarre  must  be  occupied  in  the  months 
of  May,  June,  July,  and  the  early  part  of  August.  Then  it  is 
the  most  enchanting  place  in  the  world.  During  those 
months  Malmaison  could  not  be  more  delightful.  The  few 
days  I  have  passed  there,  have  already  done  me  much  good, 
and  I  intend  to  return  there  in  three  weeks  or  a  month. 

I  have  invited  here  all  the  persons  of  my  household,  but 
many  of  them  will  not  be  able  to  come.  I  have  with  me  only 
the  ladies  Arberg,  Audenarde,  and  Viel-Castel,  and  also  Mad- 
ame Gazzani,  who  arrived  here  three  days  ago.  I  am  expect- 
ing the  ladies  Cobbert  and  Turenne. 

The  gentlemen  who  have  accompanied  me  are  Messrs.  Mon- 


JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE.  271 

aco,  Viel-Castel,  Turpin,  Pourtates,  and  Andlaw.  The  life  I 
lead  is  that  of  the  country.  I  go  out  on  foot  or  in  the  calash 
when  it  does  not  rain.  In  the  evening  I  play  a  game  of  back- 
gammon -with  the  Bishop  of  Evreux,  a  very  amiable  man, 
notwithstanding  he  is  seventy-five  years  of  age.  The  time 
hangs  a  little  heavily  upon  me,  but  it  will  appear  less  long 
when  you  shall  have  arrived  here.  I  await  you  with  impa- 
tience. I  have  had  your  room  prepared  for  you.  It  is  not 
beautiful ;  you  will  only  be  encamped ;  but  you  know  with 
what  tenderness  you  will  be  received. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  daughter.     I  embrace  you. 

JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  If  the  Emperor  inquires  for  me,  you  may  say  to  him, 
and  with  truth,  that  it  is  my  only  occupation  to  think  of  him. 

"  But  time,"  says  Memes,  "  the  only  balm  for  such  wounds 
as  hers,  was  required,  before  Josephine  could  freely  give  her- 
self up  to  retirement.  In  detailing  her  life  at  Malmaison,  we 
have  anticipated,  describing  rather  what  it  subsequently  be- 
came than  as  it  was  immediately  on  the  divorce.  For  long 
after  that  event  she  did  little  but  weep,  and  so  severe  had 
been  her  sufferings  that  it  was  six  months  before  her  sight 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  inflammation  and  swelling  of  the 
eyes. 

"  The  first  circumstance  which  produced  any  thing  like  a 
change  for  the  better,  was  her  removal  to  Navarre,  the  restor- 
ing and  embellishing  of  which  became  at  once  a  source  of 
amusement,  and  a  means  of  benevolence.  This,  formerly  a 
royal  residence,  and  celebrated  by  Delille  for  the  many  mag- 
nificent beauties  of  its  park,  had  been  visited  by  the  usual  con- 
sequences of  the  Revolution,  and  when  purchased  by  the  ex- 
Empress,  was  in  a  state  of  nearly  complete  dilapidation.  The 
chateau  itself,  or,  as  it  was  called,  palace,  though  small,  is 
delightfully  situated,  surrounded  and  overhung  by  the  roman- 
tic forest  of  Evreux.  The  park,  of  great  extent,  was  traversed 
by  beautiful  streams,  and  intersected  by  lakes,  which,  being 


272  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

partly  artificial,  had  become  ptitrescent  marshes,  from  the 
neglect  of  the  water-courses.  Two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
advanced  by  Napoleon  on  her  retired  allowance,  were  expended 
in  the  first  instance;  the  marshes  were  drained,  the  roads 
through  the  forest  repaired,  public  buildings* erected,  by  which 
means,  with  planting  and  agriculture,  Josephine  enjoyed  the 
satisfaction  of  spreading  comfort  and  fertility  over  a  neighbor- 
hood where  formerly  existed  extreme  misery." 


LETTER  III. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT    COMPEIGNE. 

NAVARRE,  AprU  4,  1810. 

I  am  touched,  my  dear  Hortense,  with  all  the  griefs  which 
you  experience.  I  hope  that  there  is  no  more  question  of  your 
return  to  Holland,  and  that  you  will  have  a  little  repose.  I 
know  how  .much  you  must  suffer  from  these  disappointments, 
but  I  entreat  you  not  to  allow  yourself  to  be  affected  by  them. 
As  long  as  any  thing  remains  Jo  me,  you  shall  be  mistress  of 
your  destiny ;  grief  and  happiness,  you  know  that  I  share  all 
with  you. 

Take,  then,  a  little  courage,  my  dear  daughter.  We  both 
of  us  have  much  need  of  it.  Often  mine  is  too  feeble,  and 
sorrow  makes  me  sick.  But  I  seek  fortitude  all  the  time,  and 
with  my  utmost  efforts.  I  avail  myself  of  the  departure  of 
Berthaut  to  write  to  you.  I  will  give  you,  in  another-  letter, 
some  details  about  Navarre,  in  anticipation  of  the  time  when 
you  shall  come  to  judge  of  them  yourself. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  embrace  you  tenderly,  and  also 
your  children. 

JOSEPHINE. 

P.  8.     Embrace,  for  me,  Eugene  and  Auguste. 


JOSEPHINE    TO     NAPOLEON.  2*73 

LETTER  IV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    NAPOLEON. 

NAVARRE,  April  10,  1810. 

Sire — I  received,  this  morning,  the  welcome  note  which  was 
written  on  the  eve  of  your  departure  for  Saint  Cloud,  and 
hasten  to  reply  to  its  tender  and  affectionate  contents.  These, 
indeed,  do  not  in  themselves  surprise  me,  but  only  as  beiug 
received  so  early  as  fifteen  days  after  my  establishment  here, 
so  perfectly  assured  was  I  that  your  attachment  would  search 
out  the  means  of  consoling  me,  under  a  separation  so  necessary 
to  the  tranquillity  of  both.  The  thought  that  you  can  follow 
me  into  my  retreat,  renders  it  almost  agreeable. 

After  having  known  all  the  sweets  of  a  love  that  is  shared, 
and  all  the  sufferings  of  one  that  is  so  no  longer — after  having 
exhausted  all  the  happiness  that  supreme  power  can  confer, 
and  the  happiness  of  beholding  the  man  whom  I  loved  enthusi- 
astically admired,  is  there  aught  else  save  repose  to  be  desired  ? 
What  illusions  can  now  remain  for '  me  ?  All  such  vanished 
^when  it  became  necessary  to  renounce  you.  Thus  the  only 
ties  which  yet  bind  me  to  life,  are  my  sentiments  for  you,  at- 
tachment for  my  children,  the  possibility  of  beiug  able  still  to 
do  some  good,  and,  above  all,  the  assurance  that  you  are  hap- 
py. Do  not,  then,  condole  with  me  on  my  being  he-re,  distant 
from  a  court  which  you  appear  to  think  I  regret. 

Surrounded  by  those  who  are  attached  to  me,  free  to  follow 
my  taste  for  the  arts,  I  find  myself  better  at  Navarre  than  any- 
where else ;  for  I  enjoy  more  completely  the  society  of  the 
former,  and  form  a  thousand  projects  which  may  prove  useful 
to  the  latter,  and  which  will  embellish  the  scenes  I  owe  to 
your  bounty.  There  is  much  to  be  done  here,  for  all  around 
are  discovered  the  traces  of  destruction ;  these  I  would  efface, 
that  there  may  exist  no  memorial  of  those  horrible  inflictions 
which  your  genius  has  taught  the  nation  almost  to  forget.  In 
repairing  whatever  these  ruffians  of  Revolution  labored  to  an- 
12* 


274  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

nihilate,  I  shall  diffuse  comfort  around  me,  and  the  benedic- 
tions of  the  poor  will  afford  me  infinitely  more  pleasure  than 
the  feigned  adulation  of  courtiers. 

I  have  already  told  you  what  I  think  of  the  functionaries  in 
this  Department,  but  have  not  spoken  sufficiently  of  the  respect- 
able bishop,  M.  Bourlier.  Every  day  I  learn  some  new  trait, 
which  causes  me  still  more  highly  to  esteem  the  man  who 
unites  the  most  enlightened  benevolence  with  the  most  amia- 
ble disposition.  He  shaft  be  intrusted  with  my  alms-deeds  in 
Evreux,  and  as  he  visits  the  indigent  himself,  I  shall  be  assured 
that  my  charities  are  properly  bestowed. 

I  can  not  sufficiently  thank  you,  sire,  for  the  liberty  you 
have  permitted  me  of  choosing  the  members  of  my  household, 
all  of  whom  contribute  to  the  pleasures  of  a  delightful  society. 
One  circumstance  alone  gives  me  pain,  namely,  the  etiquette 
of  costume,  which  becomes  a  little  tiresome  in  the  country. 
You  fear  there  may  be  something  wanting  to  the  rank  I  have 
preserved,  should  a  slight  infraction  be  allowed  in  the  toilet  of 
these  gentlemen.  But  I  believe  you  are  wrong  in  thinking 
they  would  for  one  minute  forget  the  respect  due  to  the  woman 
who  was  your  companion.  Their  respect  for  yourself,  joined 
to  the  sincere  attachment  which  they  bear  to  me,  which  I  can 
not  doubt,  secures  me  against  the  danger  of  being  ever  obliged 
to  recall  what  it  is  your  wish  they  should  remember.  My 
most  honorable  title  is  derived,  not  from  having  been  crowned, 
but  assuredly  from  having  been  chosen  by  you.  None  other 
is  of  value — that  alone  suffices  for  my  immortality. 

I  expect  Eugene.  I  doubly  long  to-  see  him,  for  he  will 
doubtless  bring  me  a  new  pledge  of  your  remembrance  ;  and 
I  can  question  him  at  my  ease  of  a  thousand  things  concern- 
ing which  I  desire  to  be  informed,  but  can  not  inquire  of  you ; 
things  too  of  which  you  ought  still  less  to  speak  to  me.  My 
daughter  will  come  also,  but  later,  her  health  not  permitting 
her  to  travel.  I  beseech  you,  sire,  to  recommend  that  she  take 
care  of  herself;  and  insist,  since  I  am  to  remain  here,  that  she 
do  every  thing  possible  to  spare  me  the  insupportable  anxiety 


JOSEPHINE  TO  NAPOLEON.          275 

I  feel  under  any  increase  of  her  ill  health.  The  weakness  in 
her  chest  alarms  me  beyond  all  expression.  I  desire  Corvisart 
to  write  me  his  opinion  without  reserve. 

My  circle  is,  at  this  time,  somewhat  more  numerous  than 
usual,  there  being  several  visitors,  besides  many  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Evreux  and  the  environs,  whom  I  see  of  course.  I 
am  pleased  with  their  manners,  and  with  their  admiration  of 
you — a  particular  in  which,  as  you  know,  I  am  not  easily  sat- 
isfied ; — in  short,  I  find  myself  perfectly  at  home  in  the  midst 
of  my  forest,  and  entreat  you,  sire,  no  longer  to  fancy  to  your- 
self that  there  is  no  living  at  a  distance  from  court.  Besides 
you,  there  is  nothing  there  I  regret,  since  I  will  have  my  chil- 
dren with  me  soon,  and  I  already  enjoy  the  society  of  the 
small  number  of  friends  who  remain  faithful  to  me.  Do  not 
forget  your  friend.  Tell  her  sometimes  that  you  preserve  for 
her  an  attachment  which  constitutes  the  felicity  of  her  life  ; 
often  repeat  to  her  that  you  are  happy,  and  be  assured  that 
for  her  the  future  will  then  be  peaceful,  as  the  past  has  been 
stormy  and  often  sad.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  V. 

FROM   JOSEPHINE    TO    NAPOLEON. 

NAVARRE,  April  19,  1810. 

Sire — I  have  received  through  my  son  the  assurance  that 
your  Majesty  consents  to  my  return  to  Malmaison,  and  that 
your  Majesty  has  kindly  granted  me  the  advance  money 
which  I  asked,  in  order  to  render  the  chateau  of  Navarre 
habitable. 

This  double  favor,  sire,  dissipates  in  a  great  degree  the  anx- 
ieties and  even  the  fears  with  which  the  long  silence  of  your 
Majesty  has  inspired  me.  I  had  feared  that  I  was  entirely 
banished  from  your  memory.  I  see  that  I  am  not.  I  am 
consequently  to-day  less  unhappy,  and  even  as  happy  as  it  is 
henceforth  possible  for  me  to  be. 


276  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  slu;ll  go,  at  the  end  of  the  month,  to  Maltnaison,  since 
your  Majesty  sees  no  objection  to  my  doing  so.  But  I  ought 
to  say  to  you,  sire,  that  I  should  not  so  soon  have  availed  my- 
self of  the  liberty  which  your  Majesty  has  granted  me  in  this 
respect,  if  the  house  at  Navarre  did  not  require,  for  my  health, 
and  for  that  of  the  persons  of  my  household,  repairs  which 
are  very  urgent. 

It  is  my  intention  to  remain  at  Malrnaison  but  a  very  short 
time.  I  shall  leave  there  very  soon  to  go  to  the  springs. 
But  during  the  time  that  I  shall  be  at  Malrnaison,  your  Maj- 
esty may  rest  assured  that  I  shall  live  there  as  if  I  were  a 
thousand  leagues  from  Paris.  I  have  made  a  great  sacrifice, 
sire,  and  each  day  I  perceive  more  clearly  its  magnitude. 
Nevertheless,  that  sacrifice  will  be  as  it  ought  to  be.  It  will 
be  entire  on  my  part.  Your  Majesty  will  not  be  disturbed  in 
your  happiness  by  any  expression  of  my  regrets. 

I  shall  unceasingly  offer  prayers  that  your  Majesty  may  be 
happy ;  perhaps  in  seeing  you  happy,  happiness  may  again 
visit  me.  But  that  your  Majesty  may  be  convinced  of  it,  I 
shall  always  respect  your  new  situation  ;  I  shall  respect  it  in 
silence.  Confiding  in  the  affection  with  which  you  formerly 
regarded  me,  I  shall  provoke  no  new  testimonials ;  I  shall 
leave  all  to  your  justice  and  your  heart. 

I  limit  myself  in  seeking  one  favor :  it  is  that  you  will 
yourself  seek  means  sometimes  to  convince  me  and  those  who 
surround  me,  that  I  have  still  a  little  place  in  your  memory 
and  a  large  share  of  your  esteem  and  of  your  friendship. 
These  means,  whatever  they  may  be,  will  soothe  my  anguish, 
without  the  danger,  as  it  seems  to  me,  of  compromising  that 
which  is  more  important  than  all  things  else,  the  happiness 
of  your  Majesty.  JOSEPHINE. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  NAPOLEON.        277 

LETTER  VI. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   NAVARRE. 

COIIPEIGXE,  April  21,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  19th  of  April. 
It  is  in  a  bad  style.  I  am  always  the  same.  My  affections 
never  change.  I  know  not  what  Eugene  may  have  said  to 
you.  I  have  not  written  because  you  have  not  done  so,  and 
because  I  have  desired  to  do  only  that  which  might  be  agree- 
able to  you. 

I  see  with  pleasure  that  you  go  to  Malmaison,  and  trust 
that  you  may  have  tranquillity  of  spirit.  As  for  me,  I  shall 
be  happy  to  hear  from  you,  and  to  give  you  all  the  news  re- 
specting myself.  Upon  this  subject  I  can  say  no  more  than 
merely  to  request  that  you  would  compare  this  letter  with 
yours,  and  after  that  I  leave  you  to  judge  which  is  the  better 
and  the  most  friendly,  yours  or  mine. 

Adieu,  my  love.  Take  care  of  your  health,  and  be  just  to 
yourself  and  to  me.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   VH. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    NAPOLEON. 

NAVARRE,  1810. 

A  thousand,  thousand,  tender  thanks  that  you  have  not  for- 
gotten me.  My  son  has  just  brought  me  your  letter.  With 
what  eagerness  have  I  read  it ;  and  yet  it  required  much  time, 
for  there  was  not  one  word  in  it  which  did  not  make  me  weep. 
But  these  tears  were  very  sweet.  I  have  recovered  my  heart 
all  entire,  and  such  as  it  will  ever  remain.  There  are  senti- 
ments which  are  even  life,  and  which  can  only  pass  away  with 
life. 

I  am  in  despair  that  my  letter  of  the  19th  has  wounded 
you.  I  can  not  recall  entirely  the  expressions,  but  I  know  the 
very  painful  sentiment  which  dictated  it.  It  was  that  of  cha- 


278  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

grin  in  not  hearing  from  you.  I  had  written  to  you  at  my 
departure  from  Malmaison,  and  since,  how  many  times  have 
I  desired  to  write  to  you !  But  I  perceived  the  reason  of  your 
silence,  and  I  feared  to  be  obtrusive  by  a  letter.  Yours  has 
been  a  balm  to  me.  May  you  be  happy ;  may  you  be  as  hap- 
py as  you  deserve  to  be.  It  is  my  heart  all  entire  which 
speaks  to  you.  You  have  just  given  me  my  happiness,  and  a 
portion  most  sensibly  appreciated.  Nothing  can  be  more 
precious  to  me  than  a  token  of  your  remembrance. 

Adieu,  my  love.     I  thank  you  as  tenderly  as  I  always  love 
you.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VIII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  NAVARRE. 

COMPEIGNE,  April  28,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  two  letters  from  you.  I  write  to 
Eugene.  I  have  ordered  that  the  marriage  should  take  place 
between  Tascher  and  the  Princess  of  Leyen. 

I  shall  go  to-morrow  to  Antwerp  to  see  my  flotilla,  and  to 
direct  the  works.  I  shall  be  on  my  return  the  15th  of  May. 

Eugene  has  informed  me  that  you  wish  to  go  to  the  springs. 
Do  not  deprive  yourself  of  any  thing.  Do  not  listen  to  the 
gossip  of  Paris.  They  are  idlers  and  know  nothing  of  the 
true  state  of  affairs.  My  affection  for  you  is  unchangeable ; 
and  I  desire  exceedingly  to  hear  that  you  are  tranquil  and 
happy.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER   IX. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AMSTERDAM. 

NAVABBE,  May  3,  1810. 

I  have  received  your  letter,  my  dear  Hortense,  and  I  see, 
with  much  pain,  that  your  health  is  not  good.  I  hope  that 
repose  will  re-establish  it,  and  I  can  not  doubt  that  the  king 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENBE.          279 

•will  contribute  to  it  every  thing  in  his  power  by  his  attentions 
and  his  attachment.  Every  day  will  lead  him  to  see  more 
and  more  how  much  you  merit.  Take  care  of  yourself,  my 
dear  daughter;  you  know  how  much  I  have  need  of  you. 
My  heart  has  suffered  to  a  degree  which  has  somewhat  im- 
paired my  health ;  but  fortitude  triumphs  over  sorrow,  and 
I  begin  to  be  a  little  better. 

I  intend  to  go,  early  in  June,  to  the  waters  of  Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle,  which  are  prescribed  for  me  by  Corvisart.  I  shall  pass 
a  few  days  before  at  Malmaison.  I  shall  not  go  there  until 
the  20th  or  21st  of  this  month,  for  the  sojourn  at  Navarre 
pleases  me  much.  I  am  there  a  stranger  to  all  intrigues.  I 
know  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should  go  to  the 
springs  this  year.  I  hope  that  those  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  may 
be  suitable  for  you,  as  I  should  derive  great  pleasure  from  pass- 
ing the  time  with  you  there.  Eugene  has  informed  you  that 
he  has  been  on  a  journey  with  the  Emperor  to  Antwerp. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  Hortense.  I  embrace  you  tenderly,  and 
tenderly  I  love  you.  JOSEPHINE. 

Embrace  Napoleon  for  me. 


LETTER  X. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT    AMSTERDAM. 

NAVARRE,  May  15,  1810. 

I  have  been  extremely  anxious  on  account  of  your  health, 
my  dear  Hortense.  I  know  that  you  have  experienced  several 
attacks  of  fever,  and  I  have  need  to  be  tranquillized.  Your 
letter  of  the  10th  has  just  reached  me,  but  it  has  not  given 
me  the  consolation  which  I  hoped  for.  I  see  in  it  an  aban- 
donment of  yourself  which  gives  me  great  pain.  How  many 
ties  are  there  which  should  bind  you  to  life !  And  if  you 
have  so  little  affection  for  me,  is  it  then,  when  I  am  no  longer 
happy,  that  you  can  think,  with  so  much  tranquillity,  of  leav- 
ing me.  Take  courage,  my  dear  daughter,  and  especially  be 


280  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

careful  of  your  health.  I  am  confident,  as  I  have  already  sent 
you  word,  that  the  waters  which  have  been  prescribed  for  you, 
will  do  you  good. 

Speak  of  it  to  the  king  with  frankness.  He  certainly  will 
not  refuse  you  any  thing  which  may  be  essential  to  your  health. 
I  am  making  all  my  arrangements  to  go  to  the  springs  in  the 
month  of  June  ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  go  to  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  but  rather  to  Aix  in  Savoy,  which  place  I  prefer. 

Diversion  of  mind  is  necessary  for  my  health,  and  I  have 
more  hope  of  finding  that  in  a  place  which  I  have  never  seen 
and  whose  situation  is  picturesque.  The  waters  of  Aix  are 
particularly  efficacious  for  the  nerves.  I  earnestly  recommend 
you  to  take  them  instead  of  those  of  Plombieres;  we  can 
pass  the  time  together.  Reply  to  me  immediately  upon  this 
subject.  We  can  lodge  together ;  it  will  not  be  necessary  for 
you  to  take  many  companions  with  you ;  I  shall  take  but  very 
few,  intending  to  travel  incognito.  To-morrow  I  go  to  Mal- 
maison  where  I  shall  remain  until  I  leave  for  the  springs.  I 
see  with  pleasure  that  the  health  of  Napoleon  is  good,  and 
that  he  has  not  suffered  from  the  change  of  air.  Embrace 
him  for  me,  my  dear  Hortense,  and  love  me  as  tenderly  as  I 
love  you.  JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Remember  me  to  the  king. 


LETTER  XL 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

Without  date. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  Eugene  will  give 
you  the  news  of  my  journey  and  of  the  Empress.  I  very 
much  approve  of  your  going  to  the  springs.  I  hope  that  the 
waters  will  do  you  good. 

I  long  exceedingly  to  see  you.  If  you  are  at  Malmaison  at 
the  close  of  the  month,  I  will  come  and  make  you  a  visit.  I 
intend  to  be  at  St.  Cloud  on  the  30th  of  the  month.  My 


JOSEPHINE    TO     HORTEN8E.  281 

health  is  very  good.  There  is  only  wanting  for  me  to  know 
that  you  are  well  and  contented.  Inform  me  of  the  name  you 
wish  to  assume  on  your  journey. 

Never  entertain  a  doubt  of  the  whole  truth  of  my  affection 
for  you.  It  will  continue  as  long  as  I  exist.  You  will  be  very 
unjust  if  you  doubt  it.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XTI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   AMSTERDAM. 

MA-LMAISON,  May  31,  1810. 

I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  the  24th,  my  dear  Hor- 
tense.  I  am  better  pleased  with  it  than  with  the  last,  and  I 
rely  upon  your  promise  to  take  care  of  your  health  ;  but  I 
still  see  in  your  letter  a  tone  of  discouragement  which  afflicts 
me,  and  which  arises  doubtless  from  the  depression  which  you 
suffer.  I  long  to  have  you  commence  the  use  of  the  waters, 
although  those  of  Plombieres  are  far  removed  from  those  of 
Aix  in  Savoy,  where  I  intend  to  go.  I  hope  that  you  will  find 
yourself  benefited  by  them,  and  that  your  fortitude  will  in- 
crease with  your  strength.  I  hope  you  will  pass  through  Paris, 
I  desire  so  much  to  see  you. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.  I  await  your  arrival  with  impa- 
tience, and  I  love  you  most  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XHI. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   PLOMBIERES. 

MALMAISON,  June  8,  1810. 

I  have  received  your  letter  dated  at  Verdun,  my  dear  Hor- 
tense.  It  has  comforted  me  very  much,  and  I  think  with 
pleasure  that  you  have  now  arrived  at  Plombieres.  I, do  not 
doubt  that  you  will  soon  experience  the  beneficial  effects  of 
the  waters,  and  I  entreat  you  to  prolong  your  stay  as  much  as 


282  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  am  going  immediately  to  those  of  Aix  in  Savoy,  and  I  in- 
tend on  my  return,  if  it  is  not  too  late,  to  go  to  see  you  at 
Plornbieres.  In  any  event,  I  hope  that  we  shall  meet  at 
Paris,  and  that  you  will  not  return  to  Holland.  Do  not, 
therefore,  yield  to  dejection,  but  take  courage.  Tranquillity 
of  soul  seconds  the  effects  of  the  waters. 

I  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  of  writing  by  the  depart- 
ure of  an  aide-de-camp  whom  Eugene  sends  to  you.  You 
ask  me  if  I  have  seen  the  Emperor.  I  have  not  yet  had  that 
pleasure,  but  he  has  sent  me  word  by  Eugene  that  he  will 
soon  come  to  see  me. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  daughter.  Think  often  of  my  tender- 
ness for  you.  Sorrow  and  joy,  we  must  share  them  together ; 
and  you  can  never  have  a  grief  so  great  but  that  my  attach- 
ment for  you  will  be  still  greater. 

JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Remember  me  to  Julia. 

The  following  passage  is  extracted  from  Abbott's  History  of 
Napoleon  : — "  Josephine  remained  for  some  time  at  Malmai- 
son.  In  deeds  of  kindness  to  the  poor,  in  reading,  and  in  re- 
ceiving, with  the  utmost  elegance  of  hospitality,  the  members 
of  the  court,  who  were  ever  crowding  her  saloons,  she  gradu- 
ally regained  equanimity  of  spirits,  and  surrendered  herself  to 
a  quiet  and  pensive  submission.  Napoleon  occasionally  called 
to  see  her,  and  taking  her  arm,  he  would  walk  for  hours  in 
the  embowered  paths  of  the  lovely  chateau,  confidingly  un- 
folding to  her  all  his  plans.  He  seemed  to  desire  to  do  every 
thing  in  his  power  to  alleviate  the  intensity  of  anguish  with 
which  he  had  wrung  her  heart.  His  own  affections  still  clung 
to  Josephine.  Her  lovely  and  noble  character  commanded 
increasingly  his  homage." 

Josephine  thus  describes  an  interview  with  Napoleon  at 
Mallnaison  : — "  I  was  one  day  painting  a  violet,  a  flower 
which  recalled  to  my  memory  my  more  happy  days,  when 
one  of  my  women  ran  toward  me,  and  made  a  sign  by  placing 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          283 

her  finger  upon  her  lips.  The  next  moment  I  was  overpow- 
ered— I  beheld  Napoleon.  He  threw  himself  with  transport 
into  the  arms  of  his  old  friend.  Oh,  then  I  was  convinced 
that  he  could  still  love  me ;  for  that  man  really  loved  me.  It 
seemed  impossible  for  him  to  cease  gazing  upon  me,  and  his 
look  was  that  of  most  tender  affection.  At  length,  in  a  tone 
of  deepest  compassion  and  love,  he  said  : 

"  '  My  dear  Josephine,  I  have  always  loved  you.  I  love  you 
still.  Do  you  still  love  me,  excellent  and  good  Josephine  ! 
Do  you  still  love  me,  in  spite  of  the  relations  I  have  contract- 
ed, and  which  have  separated  me  from  you  ?  But  they  have 
not  banished  you  from  my  memory.' 

" '  Sire  !'  I  replied. 

"  '  Call  me  Bonaparte,'  said  he  ;  '  speak  to  me,  my  beloved, 
with  the  same  freedom,  the  same  familiarity  as  ever.' 

"  Bonaparte  soon  disappeared,  and  I  heard  only  the  sound 
of  his  retiring  footsteps.  0  how  quickly  does  every  thing 
take  place  on  earth  !  I  had  once  more  felt  the  pleasure  of 
being  loved." 


LETTER  XIV. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS   AT   THE   WATERS    OF    AIX. 

TRIANON,  June  10,  1810. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  I  see  with  pain  the  danger 
through  which  you  have  passed.  For  an  inhabitant  of  the 
isles  of  the  ocean  to  perish  in  a  lake — that  had  been  a 
fatality. 

The  queen1  is  better,  and  I  hope  that  her  health  will  soon 
be  restored.  Her  husband  is  in  Bohemia,  as  it  appears,  not 
knowing  what  to  do. 

I  am  pretty  well,  and  I  entreat  you  to  believe  in  all  my 
affection.  NAPOLEON. 

1  The  queen  here  alluded  to  was  Hoi-tense. 


284  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

LETTER   XV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE,  AT   PLOMBIERES. 

MALMAISON,  June  14,  1810. 

I  did  not  know  how  much  you  had  suffered,  my  dear  Hor- 
tense,  until  you  ware  better,  but  I  had  a  presentiment  of  it,  and 
my  anxiety  induced  me  to  write  to  one  of  your  ladies,  to  indi- 
cate to  her  the  telegraph  from  Nancy,  as  a  prompt  resource  to 
call  a  physician.  You  ask  me  what  I  am  doing.  I  had,  yes- 
terday, a  day  of  happiness.  The  Emperor  came  to  see  me. 
His  presence  made  me  happy,  although  it  renewed  my  grief. 
These  are  emotions  such  as  one  could  wish  often  to  experience. 
All  the  time  he  remained  with  me  I  had  sufficient  fortitude  to 
restrain  the  tears  which  I  felt  were  ready  to  flow ;  but  after  he 
had  left,  I  had  no  longer  power  to  restrain  them,  and  I  found 
myself  very  unhappy.  He  was  to  me  kind  and  amiable  as 
ever,  and  I  hope  that  he  will  have  read  in  my  heart  all  the 
affection  and  all  the  devotion  with  which  I  cherish  him.  I 
spoke  to  him  of  your  situation,  and  he  listened  to  me  with  in- 
terest. He  is  of  opinion  that  you  should  not  return  to  Hol- 
land, the  king  not  having%pnducted  as  he  would  wish  to  Lave 
him ;  your  health,  and  the  course  you  have  pursued,  were  a 
sacrifice ;  you  have  proved  by  that,  to  the  Emperor,  and  to 
the  family  of  your  husband,  how  much  you  desire  to  do  any 
thing  which  may  be  agreeable  to  them.  The  opinion  of  the 
Emperor  is,  therefore,  that  you  should  take  the  waters  for  the 
necessary  time,  that  you  should  then  write  to  your  husband 
that  it  is  the  opinion  of  your  physicians  that  you  should  reside 
in  a  warm  climate  for  some  time,  and  that  consequently  you 
are  going  to  Italy.  As  to  your  son,  the  Emperor  will  give  or- 
ders that  he  is  not  to  leave  France. 

These  details,  my  dear  Hortense,  will  afford  you  pleasure. 
They  will  confer  upon  you,  I  hope,  fortitude  and  tranquillity. 
I  hope  to  see  you,  perhaps  at  Aix,  in  Savoy,  if  the  waters  at 
Plombieres  do  not  agree  with  you,  perhaps  in  Switzerland, 
where  the  Emperor  has  permitted  me  to  journey.  We  shall 


JOSEPHINE     TO     HOKTENSE.  285 

be  able  to  appoint  for  ourselves  a  rendezvous  where  we  may 
meet.  Then  I  will  relate  to  you  with  the  living  voice,  those 
details  which  it  would  require  too  much  time  to  write.  I  in- 
tend to  leave,  next  Monday,  for  Aix,  in  Savoy.  I  shall  travel 
incognito,  under  the  name  of  Madame  d'Aubery.  You  can 
send  your  letters  for  me  to  Lavalette. 

Your  son,1  who  is  here  now,  is  very  well.  He  has  rosy 
cheeks,  and  a  fair  skin. 

Adieu,  my  beloved  Hortense.  Let  me  often  hear  from  you, 
and  rely  always  upon  my  ardent  affection.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   XVI. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE,  AT   PLOMBIERES. 

AT  THE   WATERS   OP  AlX,  July  3,  1810. 

I  wrote  to  you  a  few  days  ago,  my  dear  Hortense.  It  seems 
to  me  a  long  time  since  I  have  received  any  tidings  from  you, 
and  I  have  not  had  a  line  since  the  18th  of  last  month.  How 
I  regret  not  having  known  before  my  departure  the  true  state 
of  your  health  :  I  should  have  been  at  Plombieres  to  have  taken 
care  of  you,  and  I  should  not  have  experienced  the  anxiety 
which  tortures  me  at  this  great  distance. 

My  only  consolation  is  to  think  that  you  will  c*ome  here.  I 
have  taken  the  waters  for  a  few  days,  and  find  myself  benefit- 
ted  by  them.  I  am  confident  that  they  will  prove  beneficial 
for  you,  and  the  more  so  since  one  can  render  them  as  mild  as 
one  wishes.  They  are  very  good  for  the  lungs.  If  you  can 
not  come  here,  I  hope  at  least  that  we  shall  meet  in  Switzer- 
land. Let  me  soon  see  you ;  alone,  desolate,  far  from  all  my 
friends,  and  in  the  midst  of  strangers,  you  can  judge  how  sad 
I  am,  and  all  the  need  I  have  of  your  presence. 

Adieu,  I  embrace  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 

1  The  son  of  Hortense  here  referred  to,  was  Louis  Napoleon.  He 
was  then  two  years  of  age,  and  in  consequence  of  delicate  health,  had 
remained  in  Paris  with  his  grandmother,  Josephine. 


286  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

LETTER  XVII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  THE  WATERS  OF  AIX,  IN  SAVOT. 

RAMBOUILLET,  July  8,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  3d  of  July. 
You  will  have  seen  Eugene,  and  his  presence  will  have  done 
you  good.  I  have  learned  with  pleasure  that  the  waters  agree 
•with  you.  The  King  of  Holland  has  abdicated  the  crown, 
leaving  the  regency,  according  to  the  constitution,  with  the 
queen.  He  has  departed  from  Amsterdam,  and  leaves  behind 
him  the  Grand  Duke  of  Berg. 

I  have  reunited  Holland  with  France.  But  this  act  accom- 
plishes one  pleasant  end,  in  that  it  emancipates  the  queen,  and 
this  unfortunate  daughter  returns  to  Paris  with  her  son,  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Berg.  That  will  render  her  perfectly  happy. 

My  health  is  good.  I  have  come  here  to  spend  a  few  days 
in  the  chase.  I  shall  see  you  with  pleasure  this  autumn. 
Never  doubt  my  love.  I  never  change. 

Take  care  of  your  health,  be  cheerful,  and  believe  in  the 
truthfulness  of  my  affections.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XVHL 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   PLOMBIERES. 

AT  THE  WATERS  OP  AlX,  July  18,  1810. 

Your  courier  arrived  this  morning,  my  dear  daughter.  I 
thank  you  for  all  the  details  you  have  given  me  respecting  the 
abdication  of  the  king.  They  are  full  of  interest,  and  I  have 
sent  them  to  Eugene  who  is  waiting  for  them  with  impatience. 
I  knew  that  the  Emperor  had  written  to  you.  He  informed 
me  of  it  in  a  letter,  kind  and  amiable  in  respect  both  to  you 
and  to  me ;  but  I  know  not  what  will  become  of  the  king, 
and  I  unite  with  you  in  anxiety  respecting  his  destiny. 

I  long,  my  dear  daughter,  to  have  you  here.    I  am  delighted 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          287 

with  the  resolution  which  you  have  taken  to  come  here.  I 
am  occupied,  in  preparing  your  lodgings,  more  pleasantly  than 
I  could  have  hoped.  A  gentleman  here  has  relinquished  his 
house.  I  have  accepted  it,  for  it  is  delightfully  situated  and 
the  view  is  enchanting.  The  houses  here  are  very  small,  hut 
that  which  you  will  inhabit  is  larger.  You  can  ride  any- 
where in  a  caleche.  You  will  he  very  glad  to  have  your  own ; 
I  have  mine,  and  ride  out  in  it  every  day. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  I  am  impatient  for  the  moment 
when  I  can  embrace  you.  JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Embrace  Julia  for  me.  My  love  to  the  persons  who 
are  with  you.  Say  to  Madame  Souza  that  I  cherish  her  son 
as  if  he  were  my  own.  My  kindest  remembrance  to  Madame 
Caulaincourt. 


LETTER  XIX. 

TO   THE    EMPRESS    AT   THE    WATERS    OF   AIX. 

ST.  CLOUD,  July  20,  1810. 

I  have  received,  my  love,  your  letter  of  the  14th  of  July. 
I  see  with  pleasure  that  the  waters  have  done  you  good,  and 
that  you  like  Geneva.  I  think  that  you  will  do  well  to  re- 
main there  several  weeks. 

My  health  is  pretty  good.  The  conduct  of  the  King  of 
Holland  grieves  me.  Hortense  will  soon  come  to  Paris.  The 
Grand  Duke  of  Berg  is  on  the  way.  I  expect  him  to-mor- 
row. Adieu,  my  love.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XX. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   AIX   IN   SAVOY. 

SECHERON,  September  9,  1810. 

M.  Gerard,  the  brother  of  the  painter,  returns  to  Chambery. 
I  profit  by  this  occasion  to  send  you  tidings,  my  dear  Hor- 


288  CONFIDENT     AL     LETTERS. 

tense,  respecting  myself.  I  have  received  no  letters  from  the 
Emperor ;  but  I  have  thought  it  proper  to  testify  to  him  all 
the  interest  which  I  feel  in  the  pregnancy  of  the  Empress.  I 
have  just  written  to  him  upon  that  subject.  I  hope  that  this 
act  will  place  him  at  his  ease,  and  that  he  will  be  able  to 
speak  to  me  of  that  event  with  as  much  confidence  as  I  have 
of  attachment  for  him. 

For  the  last  few  days  you  must  have  had  very  unpleasant 
weather  to  take  the  waters,  but  the  sun  begins  to  reappear. 
I  shall  profit  by  it,  by  commencing  to-morrow  the  tour  of  the 
lake.  I  shall  then  go  to  pass  a  few  days  at  Secheron  before 
leaving  it  finally.  I  wait  impatiently  for  you  to  receive  the 
answer  from  the  Emperor,  and  to  receive  myself  the  assurance 
that  you  will  come  to  rejoin  me. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter  ;%I  embrace  you  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Remember  me  to  all  your  companions. 

Hortense  had  written  to  the  Emperor  for  permission  to 
rejoin  her  mother.  But  for  some  reason  the  Emperor  had 
requested  her  to  return  immediately  to  Fontainebleau,  where 
she  met  her  two  children. 


LETTER   XXI. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   THE    WATERS    OF    AIX. 

ST.  CLOUD,  September  14,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  9th  of  Sep- 
tember. I  learn  with  pleasure  that  you  are  well.  The  Empress 
is  decidedly  enciente  for  four  months.  She  is  well  and  is  very 
much  attached  to  me.  The  little  Princes  Napoleon  are  very 
well.  They  are  at  the  Italian  pavilion  in  the  park  of  St.  Cloud. 

My  health  is  pretty  good.  I  desire  to  hear  that  you  are 
contented  and  happy.  They  say  that  one  of  your  household 
has  broken  her  leg  by  going  upon  the  ice. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          289 

Adieu,  my  love  ;  never  doubt  the  interest  I  feel  in  you,  and 
tlie  affection  with  which  I  cherish  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXII. 

TO    THE   EMPRESS    AT    GENEVA. 

FONTAINEBLEAIT,  October  2,  1810. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  Hortense,  whom  I  have  seen, 
will  tell  you  what  I  think.  Go  to  see  your  son  this  winter ; 
return  the  next  year  to  the  waters  of  Aix,  or  spend  the  spring 
time  at  Navarre.  I  should  advise  you  to  go  immediately  to 
Navarre  did  I  not  fear  that  you  would  be  lonely.  My  opin- 
ion is  that  you  can  not  be  pleasantly  situated  this  winter, 
except  at  Milan  or  at  Navarre.  After  that  I  shall  approve  of 
any  course  you  may  pursue ;  for  I  do  not  wish  to  thwart  you 
in  any  thing. 

Adieu,  my  love.  The  Empress  is  enciente  four  months.  I 
have  named  Madame  de  Montesquieu  governess  for  the 
Princes  of  France.  Be  content,  and  do  not  allow  yourself  to 
get  excited.  Never  doubt  my  affection.  NAPOLEON. 

It  had  been  suggested  to  Josephine  that  she  had  better  be 
absent  from  France  during  the  accouchment  of  Maria  Louisa. 
She  had  got  the  impression  that  this  was  but  the  first  step  to- 
ward her  virtual  banishment  from  the  kingdom.  This  idea 
caused  her  intense  grief.  Hortense  spoke  to  the  Emperor 
upon  the  subject,  which  led  him  to  write  the  above  letter. 


LETTER   XXIII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   FONTAINEBLEAU. 

BERNE,  October  12,  1810. 

A  courier  of  Monsieur,  the  Duke  of  Cadove,  who  returns 
to  France,  has  called  to  inquire  if  I  have  any  commissions.     I 
13 


290  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

profit  by  the  opportunity,  my  dear  Hortense,  to  testify  to  you 
all  my  grief.  Not  a  word  from  you  during  the  twenty  days 
since  you  have  been  separated  from  me !  What  can  your 
silence  mean  ?  I  confess  that  I  lose  myself  in  conjectures, 
and  no  longer  know  what  to  think.  You  alone,  my  dear 
daughter,  should  relieve  me  from  the  frightful  uncertainty  in 
which  I  live.  If  I  do  not,  within  three  days,  receive  letters 
which  shall  inform  me  what  I  ought  to  do,  I  shall  think  that 
the  Emperor  does  not  approve  of  the  request  which  I  have 
made  to  him ;  I  shall  leave  for  Geneva,  and  shall  consequently 
renounce  the  idea  of  visiting  the  remainder  of  Switzerland ; 
from  Geneva  I  shall  return  to  Malmaison ;  there  I  shall  at 
least  be  in  France ;  and,  if  all  the  world  abandons  me  I  will 
live  there  alone,  with  the  consciousness  of  having  sacrificed 
my  own  happiness  to  promote  that  of  others. 

I  pray  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  write  me  of  your  situation. 
The  grief  I  have  endured  for  the  last  eight  days,  preys  upon 
me,  and  it  should  render  the  most  callous  person  sensitive. 
Adieu,  my  dear  daughter ;  I  embrace  you ;  may  you  be  as 
happy  as  you  deserve  to  be.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  XXIV. 

FROM   MADAME   DE   REMUSSAT   TO    THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE. 

PARIS,— No  date. 

Madame — I  have  delayed  a  little  writing  to  your  Majesty, 
because  you  have  desired  that  I  should  be  able,  on  my  return, 
to  give  you-information  about  this  great  city.  If  I  had  yield- 
ed to  my  impatience  upon  the  day  of  my  arrival,  I  should 
have  addressed  to  you  expressions  of  my  gratituVle.  Your 
kindness  to  me  has  been  our  constant  conversation  since  my 
return  to  my  home.  In  being  reunited  to  my  husband  and 
children,  I  have  conveyed  to  them  the  memory  of  the  pleas- 
ant hours  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  you.  Neither  absence 
nor  time,  Madame,  can  efface  you  from  hearts  which  know 


MADAME  DE  RKMUSAT  TO  JOSEPHINE.   291 

how  to  appreciate  your  virtues.  Condescend  to  add  to  your 
kindness,  by  never  doubting  of  that  gratitude  with  which  you 
have  inspired  me  by  so  many  favors.  I  have  need,  in  writing 
to  you  to-day,  to  strengthen  myself  with  this  prayer,  and 
when  your  Majesty  shall  have  seen  the  subject  upon  which  I 
write,  you  will  understand  why  I  implore,  with  more  earnest- 
ness than  usual,  your  confidence  in  my  unalterable  attachment. 

I  will  commence  by  saying  to  you,  Madame,  that,  having 
learned  upon  my  arrival  here  that  the  Emperor  was  very  much 
occupied  with  important  business,  and  that  he  with  difficulty 
granted  audiences,  I  did  not  dare  to  solicit  an  audience,  as  you 
advised.  I  have,  therefore,  not  as  yet  appeared  at  court ;  but 
I  have  already  seen  many  distinguished  personages,  and  I 
have  been  questioned  respecting  your  Majesty  with  the  deep- 
est interest.  Frequent  inquiries  are  made  respecting  your 
health ;  and  they  wish  to  know  how  you  employ  your  time  ; 
if  you  are  tranquil  and  happy  in  the  retreat  to  which  you  have 
retired  ;  if  you  have  received  upon  your  route  the  testimonials 
of  affection  which  you  merit ; — in  fine,  what  are  your  feelings 
and  your  mode  of  life. 

It  was  pleasant  to  me  to  be  able  to  respond  to  all  these 
questions  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  The  pleasure  with 
which  the  simple  and  truthful  recital  was  received,  of  the  em- 
ployment of  your  time,  of  your  secret  feelings,  of  your  mod- 
eration, and  of  that  devotedness,  so  true,  which  directs  your 
conduct,  has  clearly  proved  to  me  that  those  by  whom  I  was 
questioned  were  sure  to  give  pleasure  in  conveying  to  a  higher 
source  the  truth. 

But,  Madame,  I  have  questioned  in  my  turn ;  I  have  made 
observations  on  my  part ;  and  I  dare  to  submit  to  your  reason 
the  result  of  my  observations  with  the  confidence  of  my  at- 
tachment. The  grossesse  of  the  Empress  is  a  public  joy,  a 
new  hope  which  each  one  seizes  with  eagerness.  Your  M;ij- 
esty,  whom  I  have  seen  contemplate  this  event  as  the  recom- 
pense for  a  great  sacrifice,  will  easily  understand  this. 

Indeed,  Madame,  after  all  that  I  have  observed,  it  seems  to 


292  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

me  that  you  have  still  another  step  to  take  in  order  to  give 
perfection  to  your  work ;  and  I  am  emboldened  to  explain 
myself,  because  it  seems  to  me  that  the  last  sacrifice  which 
your  reason  imposes  upon  you,  will  be  but  momentary.  You 
will  undoubtedly  remember  that  you  have  sometimes  regretted 
with  me  that  the  Emperor  did  not,  at  the  moment  of  his 
marriage,  urge  an  interview  between  two  persons  whom  he 
flattered  himself  he  c.ould  easily  bring  together,  because  he 
could  then  reunite  them  in  his  affections.  You  have  said  to 
me  that  since  then  he  had  hoped  that  une  grossesse,  in  tran- 
quilizing  the  Empress  respecting  her  claims,  woulH  give  to  him 
the  means  of  accomplishing  the  wishes  of  his  heart.  But, 
Madame,  unless  I  am  deceived  in  my  observations,  the  time 
has  not  yet  come  for  such  an  interview. 

The  Empress  appears  to  have  brought  with  her  an  imagina- 
tion lively  and  prompt  to  take  alarm.  She  loves  with  tender- 
ness, with  the  entire  devotion  of  a*first  affection.  But  that 
very  affection  seems  to  unite  with  it  some  little  solicitude, 
from  which  indeed  it  is  rarely  separated.  The  proof  of  this 
may  be  found  in  a  little  anecdote  which  the  Grand  Marshal 
has  related  to  me,  and  which  will  strengthen  all  that  which  I 
have  had  the  honor  to  say  to  you. 

One  day  the  Emperor,  walking  with  her  in  the  environs  of 
Malmaison,  invited  her,  as  you  were  absent,  to  visit  that  beau- 
tiful place.  In  an  instant  the  countenance 'of  the  Empress 
was  flooded  with  tears.  She  dared  not  decline.  But  the 
proofs  of  her  grief  were  too  visible  for  the  Emperor  to  insist. 
This  disposition  to  jealousy,  which  time  will  undoubtedly  di- 
minish, can  only  be  augmented  under  existing  circumstances 
by  the  presence  of  your  Majesty.  You  will  recall  to  mind, 
perhaps,  that  this  summer,  in  seeing  you  so  well,  so  tranquil, 
I  will  even  venture  to  say,  so  beautified,  by  the  serenity  of  the 
life  we  were  leading,  that  I  dared  smilingly  to  remark  to  you, 
that  no  skill  could  convey  to  Paris  the  power  of  securing  such 
tranquillity ;  and  that  I  perceived  clearly  that,  were  I  in  the 
place  of  another,  I  should  experience  more  or  less  of  inquietude 


MADAME  DE  REMU8AT  TO  JOSEPHINE.   293 

In  truth,  Madame,  this  pleasantry  appears  to  me  to-day  the 
cry  of  reason.  The  Grand  Marshal,  with  whom  I  have  con- 
versed, has  spoken  also  of  the  solicitudes  which  I  feel.  It  has 
appeared  to  me  that  he  dared  not  be  explicit  with  the  Empe- 
ror upon  a  subject  to  which  he  could  not  allude  but  with 
grief.  He  has  spoken  to  me,  in  accents  of  truth,  of  the  attach- 
ment which  you  still  inspire,  and  which  enjoins  the  greater 
circumspection  on  the  part  of  the  Emperor.  The  new  rela- 
tions now  existing  call  for  new  duties.  And  if  I  dared,  I 
should  say  that  it  is  not  the  office  of  a  soul  like  yours  to 
tempt  the '  Emperor  to  be  wanting  in  any  of  his  responsi- 
bilities. 

Here,  in  the  midst  of  the  joy  which  the  condition  of  the 
Empress  awakens,  at  the  epoch  of  the  birth  of  an  infant,  ex- 
pected with  so  much  impatience,  in  the  contusion  of  the  fetes 
which  will  follow  this  event,  what  can  you  do,  Madame  ? 
What  can  the  Emperor  do,  who  must  devote  himself  to  the 
tender  attentions  which  the  condition  of  this  young  mother 
will  require,  and  who  will  yet  be  troubled  by  the  memory  of 
those  affections  which  he  still  feels  for  you  ?  He  will  surfer, 
although  your  delicacy  may  not  permit  you  to  exact  any  thing 
from  him.  But  you  will  suffer  also.  You  can  not  listen  with 
impunity,  to  the  shouts  of  such  rejoicings,  yourself  left,  as  you 
perhaps  will  be,  in  entire  oblivion,  or  become  the  object  of 
compassion  of  a  few  who  will  pity  you  perhaps  from  the 
spirit  of  party. 

By  degrees,  your  situation  will  become  so  painful  that  per- 
fect retirement  will  alone  be  able  to  restore  you  to  yourself. 
Since  I  have  commenced,  permit  me  to  finish.  It  is  necessary 
for  you  to  leave  Paris.  Malmaison,  Navarre  even,  will  be  too 
near  the  shoutings  of  a  city,  idle  and  sometimes  evil  inten- 
tioned.  Obliged  at  length  to  retire,  it  will  appear  that  you 
have  received  orders  to  depart,  and  you  will  lose  the  honor 
which  arises  from  taking  the  initiative  in  a  courageous  act. 

Such  are  the  observations  which  I  have  wished  to  submit  to 
you ;  such  are  the  results  of  the  long  conversations  which  I 


294  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

have  bad  with  my  husband,  and  even  of  an  interview  which 
chance  procured  for  me  of  the  Grand  Marshal.  Feeling  less 
interested  than  we  do  in  your  concerns,  and  accustomed,  as 
you  know,  not  to  form  opinions  unless  he  has  received  orders 
to  transmit  his  thoughts,  it  was  with  much  labor  and  not  a 
little  address  that  I  drew  from  him  a  few  of  his  ideas,  but  im- 
mediately upon  receiving  them,  I  became  convinced  that  there 
remained  another  sacrifice  for  you  to  make,  and  that  it  was 
worthy  of  you  not  to  await  events,  but  to  anticipate  them,  in 
informing  the  Emperor  of  a  courageous  determination. 

In  relieving  him  from  an  embarrassment,  from  which  his 
tenderness  for  you  alone  prevents  him  from  extricating  him- 
self, you  will  acquire  new  claims  to  his  gratitude.  And  more- 
over, in  addition  to  the  recompense  ever  attached  to  an  action 
just  and  reasonable,  with  that  amiable  character  which  distin- 
guishes you,  this  disposition  to  please  and  to  make  yourself 
beloved,  will  perhaps  secure  for  you,  in  a  journey  a  little  more 
prolonged,  pleasures  which  you  do  not  at  first  foresee.  In 
Milan,  the  spectacle,  so  gratifying,  of  the  well-merited  success 
of  a  son  awaits  you.  Florence,  and  Rome  even,  offer  to  your 
taste  enjoyments  which  will  embellish  your  temporary  ab- 
sence. You  will  encounter  at  each  step  in  Italy,  souvenirs 
which  the  Emperor  will  not  be  displeased  to  see  you  renew, 
because  they  form  the  epochs  of  his  first  glory. 

Every  thing  which  the  Grand  Marshal  says  to  me,  proves 
conclusively  that  his  Majesty  wishes  that  you  should  ever  re- 
tain the  dignities  of  a  rank  to  which  you  have  been  elevated 
by  his  success  and  his  affection.  In  the  meanwhile  the  winter 
will  pass  away.  The  season  in  which  one  can  occupy  Navarre 
will  restore  you  to  the  occupations  of  embellishment  which 
there  await  you.  Time,  the  grand  repairer,  will  have  consoli- 
dated all,  and  you  will  have  put  the  finishing  stroke  to  that 
conduct,  so  noble,  which  secures  for  you  the  gratitude  of  a 
whole  nation. 

I  do  not  know  but  that  I  deceive  myself,  Madame,  but  it 
appears  to  me  that  there  is  even  happiness  to  be  found  in  the 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          295 

exercise  of  such  duties.  The  heart  of  a  woman  knows  how  to 
find  pleasure  in  the  sacrifices  which  it  makes  for  him  whom 
she  loves.  To  relieve  the  Emperor  from  the  embarrassment 
from  which  he  could  easily  extricate  himself,  did  he  love  you 
less — to  soothe  the  anxieties  of  a  young  woman,  whom  time 
and  further  acquaintance  with  yourself  would  render  more 
calm — all  this  is  worthy  of  you.  If  you  were  less  sure  of  the 
effect  which  the  graces  of  your  person  could  still  produce,  the 
part  for  you  to  perform  would  be  less  difficult.  But  it  appears 
to  me  that  since  your  Majesty  knows  very  well  that  you  pos- 
sess advantages  that  would  enable  you  to  maintain  a  rivalry, 
that  you  ought,  on  that  account,  to  conduct  with  the  greater 
delicacy. 

I  dare  to  hope  that  your  Majesty  will  pardon  me  for  this 
long  letter,  and  for  the  reflections  which  it  contains.  When  I 
urge  so  strongly  the  imperious  necessity  of  your  separating 
yourself  from  us  for  a  short  time,  I  flatter  myself  that  you  will 
condescend  to  think  that  I  have,  perhaps,  never  given  you 
more  sincere  proof  of  the  affection  which  attaches  me  to  you. 

I  am,  with  profound  respect,  Madam,  your  Majesty's  very 
humble  and  obedient  servant,  VERGENNES  REMUSAT. 


LETTER  XXV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTEN8E,  AT   FONTAINEBLEATT. 

BERNE,  October  13,  1810. 

My  dear  Hortense — I  received,  yesterday,  your  letter  which 
you  wrote  me  on  the  4th,  and  we  are  now  at  the  13th  ;  think 
how  long  it  has  been  in  reaching  me.  I  confess  that  notwith- 
standing the  delay,  it  at  least  decides  the  path  of  duty  for  me. 
Having  reflected  upon  it  well,  I  shall  follow  the  first  idea  of 
the  Emperor — I  go  to  establish  myself  at  Navarre.  I  find 
many  difficulties  in  the  way  of  my  going  to  Italy,  particularly 
to  pass  the  winter  there.  If  it  were  a  journey  of  but  one  or 


296  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

two  months,  I  would  cheerfully  go  to  see  my  son,  but  to  re- 
main there  longer  is  impossible. 

Moreover,  my  health,  which  was  quite  improved,  has  be- 
come very  bad  during  the  last  fortnight.  My  physician  advises 
repose,  and  I  shall  have  all  the  time  at  Navarre  to  take  care 
of  my  health.  All  that  you  say  of  the  interest  which  the  Em- 
peror still  takes  in  me  gives  me  pleasure.  I  have  made  for 
him  the  greatest  of  sacrifices,  the  affections  of  my  heart.  I  am 
sure  that  he  will  not  forget  me,  if  he  has  sometimes  said  that 
another  would  never  have  had  the  courage  to  sacrifice  herself 
to  such  a  degree. 

I  shall  go  from  here  Tuesday  or  Wednesday,  and  shall  be 
at  Geneva  Saturday,  or  Sunday  the  21st.  I  hope  to  receive 
another  line  from  you  before  deciding  upon  the  time  of  leav- 
ing for  Navarre,  that  I  may  know  if  the  Emperor  cordially 
approves  of  my  passing  the  winter  there.  Write  to  me  frankly 
upon  that  subject. 

I  confess  to  you,  that  if  it  were  necessary  for  me  to  banish 
myself  from  France  for  more  than  a  month,  I  should  die  of 
grief.  At  Navarre,  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  at  least  of  seeing 
you,  sometimes,  my  dear  Hortense,  and  that  is  so  great  a  hap- 
piness for  me  that  I  must  prefer  the  place  which  brings  me 
nearest  to  my  beloved  daughter. 

Adieu ;  I  embrace  you  with  my  whole  heart.  Embrace  for 
me  my  grandchildren.  JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  My  dear  Hortense,  if  I  should  go  to  Italy,  I  am  sure 
that  many  persons  who  belong  to  my  household  would  give 
me  their  resignation.  This  is  very  sad  to  think  of. 


LETTER  XXVI. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE,  AT    FONTAINEBLEAU. 

GEKEVA,  1810. 

The  Emperor  has  written  me  an  affectionate  little  letter. 
You  can  judge,  my  dear  Hortense,  what  pleasure  it  has  afford- 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          297 

ed  me.  The  Emperor  advises  me  to  go  to  Milan  or  to  Navarre. 
I  have  decided  in  favor  of  Navarre.  There  I  shall  at  least  be 
in  France.  If  there  had  only  been  a  question  about  my  pass- 
ing one  or  two  months  in  Italy,  with  my  dear  Eugene,  I 
should  cheerfully  have  taken  the  journey.  But  to  separate 
myself  from  France  for  six  months,  that  would  cause  anxiety 
to  all  the  members  of  my  household,  and  that  is  beyond  my 
strength.  You  will  find  me  much  changed,  my  dear  Hortense. 
I  have  lost  all  the  good  effects  of  the  waters.  For  a  month  I 
have  grown  considerably  thin,  and  I  perceive  that  I  need  re- 
pose, and  particularly  that  the  Emperor  should  not  forget 
me. 

I  hope  he  will  fix,  definitely,  arrangements  for  you.  It  is 
indeed  one  of  my  griefs  to  know  that  you  are  in  constant  un- 
certainty in  that  respect ;  but  I  place  great  reliance  in  the 
attachment  of  the  Emperor  for  you.  I  regret  that  you  have 
not  taken  the  journey  which  I  have  just  made  in  Switzerland  ; 
you  would  have  seen  one  of  the  most  beautiful  countries  in  the 
world,  the  most  magnificent  mountains,  and  the  richest  vege- 
tation. • 

I  have  seen  the  Grand  Duchess  Constantine.1  She  came  to 
see  me  twice,  and  I  have  been  once  to  see  her.  She  is  charm- 
ing, elegant,  graceful,  and  amiable.  She  has  the  most  beauti- 
ful figure  possible,  and  unites  with  that  charming  features ; 
she  has  the  air  of  not  being  happy. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  I  am  going  to  write  to  the  Em- 
peror. I  shall  inform  him  that  I  intend  to  leave  Geneva  the 
1st  of  November,  and  that  I  shall  go  to  pass  twenty -four  hours 
at  Malmaison.  You  will  be  very  kind  to  come  and  make  me 
a  little  visit.  I  shall  then  go  to  establish  myself  at  Navarre. 
Inform  me  if  this  arrangement  meets  the  views  of  the  Em- 
peror. Embrace  for  me  your  children.  Again  adieu,  my 
dear  daughter.  I  embrace  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 

I  have  heard  sung  all  over  Switzerland  your  romance  of 

1  The  Grand  Duchess  Constantine  was  the  wife  of  Constantino,  the 
brother  of  Alexander,  Emperor  of  Russia. 
13* 


CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Beau  Dunois.*     I  have  even  heard  it  played  upon  the  piano 
with  beautiful  variations. 


LETTER  XXVII. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  NAVARRE. 

FONTAINEBLEATT,  November  14,  1810. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  Hortense  has  spoken 
to  me  of  you.  I  see  with  pleasure  that  you  are  contented.  I 

1  "Hortense  was  a  woman  of  very  superior  accomplishments.  The 
Duchess  of  Abrantes  speaking  of  her  as  a  young  lady,  says :  "  Hortense 
de  Beauharnais  was  at  this  time  seventeen  years  old.  She  was  fresh 
as  a  rose,  and  though  her  fair  complexion  was  not  relieved  by  much 
color,  she  had  enough  to  produce  that  freshness  and  bloom  which  was 
her  chief  beauty.  A  profusion  of  light  hair  played  in  silky  locks 
round  her  soft  and  penetrating  blue  eyes.  The  delicate  roundness  of 
her  figure,  slender  as  a  palm-tree,  was  set  off  by  the  elegant  carriage 
of  her  head.  Her  feet  were  small  and  pretty,  her  hands  very  white 
with  pink,  well  rounded  nails.  But  what  formed  the  chief  attraction 
of  Hortense,  was  the  grace  and  suavity  of  her  manners,  which  united 
the  creole  nonchalance  with  the  vivacity  of  France.  She  was  gay, 
gentle,  and  amiable.  She  had  wit  which,  without  the  smallest  ill 
temper,  had  just  malice  enough  to  be  amusing. 

"  A  polished  and  well-conducted  education  had  improved  her  nat- 
ural talents.  She  drew  excellently,  sung  harmoniously,  and  performed 
admirably  in  comedy.  In  1800  she  was  a  charming  young  girl.  She 
afterward  became  one  of  the  most  amiable  princesses  in  Europe.  I 
have  seen  many,  both  in  their  own  courts  and  in  Paris,  but  I  never 
knew  one  who  had  any  pretensions  to  equal  talents.  She  was  beloved 
by  every  one. 

"The  First  Consul  looked  upon  her  as  his  child;  and  it  was  only  in 
that  country,  so  fertile  in  the  inventions  of  scandal,  that  so  foolish  an 
accusation  could  have  been  imagined,  as  that  any  feeling  less  pure 
than  paternal  affection  actuated  his  conduct  toward  her.  The  vile 
calumny  met  with  the  contempt  it  merited,  and  is  now  only  remem- 
bered to  be  confuted." 

Hortense  acquired  much  celebrity  from  several  pieces  of  music 
which  she  composed  and  which  became  very  popular  all  over  Europe. 
The  piece  to  which  Josephine  here  alludes,  was  called,  "  Partant  pour 
la  Syrie  le  jeune  et  beau  Dunois,"  or  "  The  Knight  Errant." 


JO8EPHIXE    TO     HORTEN8E.  299 

hope  that  you  will  not  find  Navarre  tiresome.  The  Empress 
advances  happily  in  her  pregnancy.  I  shall  make  the  various 
improvements  which  you  have  mentioned  for  your  house. 
Take  care  of  your  health,  be  contented,  and  never  doubt  my 
love  for  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXVHI. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  NAVARRE. 

Without  date. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  I  see  no  objection  to  the  mar- 
riage of  Madame  Mackau  with  Vattier,  if  that  is  agreeable  to 
her.  The  general  is  a  very  brave  man.  I  am  well.  I  hope 
to  have  a  son.  I  shall  inform  you  of  it  immediately.  I  am 
very  glad  that  Madame  d'Arberg1  has  told  you  things  which 
give  you  pleasure.  When  you  see  me  you  will  find  me  with 
unchanged  affection  for  you.  NAPOLEON. 


LETTER  XXIX. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

NAVARRE,  December  It,  1810. 

I  have  seen  with  pain,  my  dear  Hortense,  by  your  last  let- 
ter that  you  have  been  sick,  and  that  your  little  boy  has  had 
the  fever.  Frere,2  who  has  just  come  from  Paris,  informs  me 
that  he  is  now  better,  and  that  tranquilizes  me.  You  will  do 
well  to  leave  your  children  in  Paris  when  you  come  to  Na- 
varre. It  is  very  damp  everywhere  now,  but  particularly  so 
here.  You  have  heard  with  pleasure  of  the  happy  accouch- 
ment  of  Auguste.  I  am  very  glad  for  her  that  she  has  had  a 
son,  for  she  desired  it  very  earnestly. 

1  The  Countess  of  D'Arbourg  was  lady  of  honor  of  the  Empress 
Josephine. 

2  Valet-de-chambre  of  the  Empress. 


300'  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

I  expect  to-day,  Monsieur  de  Caprara,1  who  stopped  yester- 
day in  Paris  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Emperor.  My  health 
is  a  little  improved  since  they  gave  me  the  emetic,  but  I  am 
still  suffering  from  an  inflammation  of  the  eyes.  My  physi- 
cian pretends  that  that  arises  from  my  having  wept  so  much ; 
nevertheless,  for  some  time  I  have  wept  but  occasionally. 
But  I  hope  that  the  calm  life  which  I  lead  here,  far  from  in- 
trigues and  idle  talk,  will  give  me  fortitude,  and  that  my  eyes 
may  recover. 

The  Emperor  has  not  yet  appointed  my  household;  he  has 
the  list  of  the  persons  for  whom  I  have  asked.  You  will  be 
very  kind  if  you  will  speak  to  him  in  favor  of  Monsieur  Chau- 
mont  of  Guitri,  an  excellent  person  of  whom  every  one  speaks 
well.  I  have  applied  for  him  for  esquire.  He  is  an  only  son 
and  enjoys  an  income  of  fifteen  thousand  livres.  He  is 
threatened  with  the  loss  of  his  income  by  the  re-organization 
of  the  canal  of  Languedoc.  I  send  you  the  letter  he  has  writ- 
ten me  upon  this  subject,  that  it  may  be  submitted  to  the  Em- 
peror from  me. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  embrace  you  and  also  your 
children,  very  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 

"  My  divorce,"  said  Napoleon  at  St.  Helena,  "  has  no  par- 
allel in  history.  It  did  not  destroy  the  ties  which  united  our 
families,  and  our  mutual  tenderness  remained  unchanged.  Our 
separation  was  a  sacrifice  demanded  of  us  by  reason,  for  the 
interests  of  my  crown  and  of  my  dynasty.  Josephine  was 
devoted  to  me.  She  loved  me  tenderly.  No  one  ever  had  a 
preference  over  me  in  her  heart.  I  occupied  the  first  place  in 
if,  her  children  the  next.  She  was  right  in  thus  loving  me, 
and  the  remembrance  of  her  is  still  all  powerful  in  my  mind. 

"A  son  by  Josephine  would  have  completed  my  happiness, 
not  only  in  a  political  point  of  view,  but  as  a  source  of  do- 
mestic felicity.  As  a  political  result,  it  would  have  secured 
to  me  the  possession  of  the  throne.  The  French  people 

1  Monsieur  de  Caprara ;  Cardinal  Caprara,  a  legate  from  the  pope. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          301 


would  have  been  as  much  attached  to  the  son  of  Josephine,  as 
they  were  to  the  King  of  Rome,  and  I  should  not  have  set 
my  foot  on  an  abyss  covered  with  a  bed  of  flowers.  But  how 
vain  are  all  human  calculations !  Who  can  pretend  to  decide 
on  what  may  lead  to  happiness  or  unhappiness  in  this  life  ?" 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

LETTERS    DURING   THE   YEAR    1811. 

ON  the  20th  of  March  of  this  year,  while  the  Empress  was 
at  Navarre,  Maria  Louisa  gave  birth  to  the  King  of  Rome.  The 
following  extract,  from  Abbott's  History  of  Napoleon,  exhibits 
the  public  feeling  with  which  this  event  was  then  regarded : 

"On  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  March,  1811,  Maria  Louisa 
was  placed  upon  that  couch  of  suffering  from  which  no  regal 
wealth  or  imperial  rank  can  purchase  exemption.  It  had  pre- 
viously been  announced  that  the  cannon  of  the  Invalides 
should  proclaim  the  advent  of  the  expected  heir  to  the  throne. 
If  the  child  were  a  princess,  twenty-one  guns  were  to  be  fired ; 
if  a  prince,  one  hundred.  At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
the  20th  of  March,  all  Paris  was  aroused  by  the  deep  boom- 
ing of  those  heavy  guns  in  annunciation  of  the  arrival  of  the 
welcome  stranger.  Every  window  was  thrown  open.  Every 
ear  was  on  the  alert.  The  slurnberers  were  aroused  from  their 
pillows,  and  silence  pervaded  all  the  streets  of  the  busy  me- 
tropolis, as  the  vast  throngs  stood  motionless  to  court  the  tid- 
ings which  those  explosions  were  thundering  in  their  ears. 
The  heart  of  the  great  capital  ceased  to  beat ;  and  in  all  her 
glowing  veins  the  current  of  life  stood  still. 

"  The  twenty-first  gun  was  fired.  The  interest  was  now  in- 
tense beyond  conception.  For  a  moment,  the  gunners  delayed 
the  next  discharge,  and  Paris  stood  waiting  in  breathless  sus- 
pense. The  heavily-loaded  guns  then,  with  redoubled  voice, 
pealed  forth  the  announcement.  From  the  entire  city  one 
universal  roar  of  acclamation  rose,  and  blended  with  their 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HOKTENSE.          303 

thunders.    Never  was  an  earthly  monarch  greeted  with  a  more 
affecting  demonstration  of  a  nation's  love  and  homage. 

"  The  birth  of  the  King  of  Rome !  how  illustrious  !  The 
thoughtful  mind  will  pause  and  muse  upon  the  striking  con- 
trast furnished  by  his  death.  Who  could  then  have  imagined 
that  his  imperial  father  would  have  died  a  prisoner  in  a  dilapi- 
dated stable  at  St.  Helena,  and  that  this  child,  the  object  of  a 
nation's  love  and  expectation,  would  linger  through  a  few  short 
years  of  neglect  and  sorrow,  and  then  sink  into  a  forgotten 
grave !" 


LETTER   I. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HOETENSE    AT    PARIS. 

NAVARRE,  January  8,  1811. 

I  am  very  much  astonished,  my  dear  Hortense,  at  what 
Frere  has  said  to  you  respecting  me.  I  do  not  know  how  he 
could  have  conceived  that  I  was  displeased  with  you  because 
you  have  not  come  here.  I  knew  that  this  was  caused  by 
your  health  alone,  and  that  afflicted  me.  But  regrets  are  not 
reproaches,  and  I  do  not  remember  that  I  have  said  any  thing 
which  in  the  least  degree  in  the  world  resembled  a  reproach. 
Rest  assured  that  with  me  your  health  is  paramount  to  every 
thing  else.  I  intreat  you  still  to  defer  your  visit  for  some 
days,  for  the  weather  is  much  too  cold,  and  your  lungs  would 
suffer  from  it ;  and  to  prove  to  you  how  far  I  am  from  being 
displeased,  I  send  to  you  a  little  necklace,  which  I  have  had 
made  for  you.  You  will  find  upon  it  these  words,  which  are 
an  expression  of  my  tenderness :  Josephine  to  her  beloved 
daughter.  The  cross  marks  the  date  which  they  had  an- 
nounced to  me  for  your  arrival,  the  second  of  January. 

I  sent  you,  the  evening  before  new  year's  day,  a  letter  with 
the  congratulations  of  the  new  year  for  the  Emperor.  You 
have  forgotten  to  inform  me  whether  you  have  received  and 
delivered  it.  Tell  me  in  a  word  in  your  first  letter.  Adieu, 
my  dear  Hortense.  I  embrace  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


304  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

P.  S.  I  received,  two  days  ago,  a  letter  from  Eugene  with 
the  bulletin  of  the  health  of  Augusle.  She  suffers  continual- 
ly, though  not  in  danger.1  But  poor  Eugene  is  very  uu- 
happy. 


LETTER   II. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   NAVARRE. 

PARIS,  January  8,  1811. 

I  have  received  your  letter  for  the  new  year.  I  thank  you 
for  what  you  say  to  me.  I  see  with  pleasure  that  you  are 
contented.  They  say  that  at  Navarre  there  are  more  ladies 
than  gentlemen.  My  health  is  very  good,  though  I  have  not 
been  out  for  a  fortnight.  Eugene  does  not  seem  to  me  to  be 
anxious  about  his  wife.  He  gives  you  a  little  boy.  Adieu, 
my  love.  Take  care  of  your  health.  NAPOLEON. 


The  tidings  of  the  birth  of  the  King  of  Rome  arrived  at 
Navarre  late  in  the  evening  of  the  20th.  It  so  happened  that 
all  Josephine's  household  were  at  a  grand  entertainment  at 
Evreux,  given  by  the  Prefect.  The  official  news  reached  that 
officer  in  the  midst  of  the  gayeties,  and  he  immediately  issued 
his  orders  for  public  rejoicing.  The  cannon  were  fired  and  the 
bells  were  rung. 

Josephine  had  remained  at  home  with  the  Princess  d'Arberg, 
her  lady  of  honor.  The  ringing  of  the  bells  and  the  booming 
of  the  guns  conveyed  to  her  the  first  announcement  that 
Napoleon  was  a  father.  Madame  Decrest,  who  was  then  a 
youthful  visitor  at  Navarre,  thus  describes  the  scene  which 
ensued  : 

"  I  confess  that  my  boundless  affection  for  Josephine  caused 

1  Auguste,  the  wife  of  Eugene,  just  after  her  confinement,  was  at- 
tacked with  paralysis,  which  deprived  her  for  a  time  of  the  use  of  one 
of  her  arms. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  NAPOLEON.          305 

me  violent  sorrow,  when  I  thought  that  she  who  occupied  her 
place  was  now  completely  happy.  Knowing  as  yet  but  im- 
perfectly the  grandeur  of  soul  which  characterized  the  Em- 
press, her  entire  denial  of  self,  and  absolute  devotion  to  the 
happiness  of  the  Emperor,  I  imagined  there  must  still  remain 
in  her  so  much  of  the  woman  as  would  excite  bitter  regret  at 
not  having  become  the  mother  of  a  son  so  ardently  desired. 
I  judged  like  a  frivolous  person  of  the  gay  world,  who  had 
never  known  cares  beyond  those  of  a  ball. 

"On  arriving  at  the  palace,  where 'the  first  comers  had 
spread  the  news,  I  learned  how  to  appreciate  one  who  had  so 
long  been  the  cherished  companion,  often  the  counselor,  and 
always  the  true  friend  of  Napoleon.  I  beheld  every  face 
beaming  with  joy,  and  Josephine's  more  radiant  than  any,  for 
all  but  reflected  her  satisfaction.  No  sooner  had  the  party 
from  the  carriages  entered  the  saloon,  than  she  eagerly  in- 
quired what  details  we  had  learned. 

" '  I  do  regret,'  she  continued  to  repeat,  '  being  so  far  dis- 
tant from  Paris.  At  Malmaison  I  could  have  had  information 
every  half  hour !  I  greatly  rejoice  that  the  painful  sacrifice 
which  I  made  for  France  is  likely  to  be  useful,  and  that  her 
future  destiny  is  DOW  secure.  How  happy  the  Emperor  must 
be !  One  thing  alone  makes  me  sad,  namely,  not  having  been 
informed  of  that  happiness  by  himself.  But  then  he  has  so 
many  orders  to  give,  so  many  congratulations  to  receive. 
Young  ladies,  we  must  do  here  as  elsewhere  ;  there  must  be  a 
fete  to  solemnize  the  accomplishment  of  so  many  vows.  I 
will  give  you  a  ball.  As  the  saloons  are  small  I  will  have  the 
hall  of  the  guards  floored  above  the  marble ;  for  the  whole 
city  of  Evreux  must  come  and  rejoice  with  us.  I  can  never 
have  too  many  people  on  this  occasion.  Make  your  prepara- 
tions ;  get  ready  some  of  my  jewels.  I  must  not,  in  the 
present  case  continue  to  receive  my  visitors  in  a  bonnet  de  nuit. 
As  for  you,  gentlemen,  I  require  for  this  once  your  grand  cos- 
tume.' 

"  I  have  added  nothing,"  continues  Madame  Decrest,  "  to  the 


3U0  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

words  of  Josephine,  only  they  were  not  all  uttered  in  regular 
succession.  Her  Majesty's  pleasing  countenance  was,  if  pos- 
sible, more  than  usually  open,  -and  frank  in  its  expression 
while  she  spoke,  and  never,  in  my  opinion,  did  she  show  her- 
self more  worthy  of  the  high  fortune  she  had  enjoyed." 

The  effort  which  the  Empress  Josephine  made  upon  this 
occasion  must  have  been  very  great.  At  midnight  she  re- 
tired to  her  private  apartment  and  wrote  as  follows  to  the 
Emperor : 

LETTER  III. 

JOSEPHINE   TO   NAPOLEON. 

NAVARRE,  March  20,  21,  1811. 

Sire — Amid  the  numerous  felicitations  you  receive  from 
every  corner  of  Europe,  from  all  the  cities  of  France,  and  from 
each  regiment  of  your  army,  can  the  feeble  voice  of  a  woman 
reach  your  ear,  and.  will  you  deign  to  listen  to  her  who  so 
often  consoled  your  sorrows  and  sweetened  your  pains,  now 
that  she  speaks  to  you  only  of  that  happiness  in  which  all 
your  wishes  are  fulfilled  ?  Having  ceased  to  be  your  wife, 
dare  I  felicitate  you  on  becoming  a  father  ?  Yes,  sire,  with- 
out hesitation,  for  my  soul  renders  justice  to  yours,  in  like 
manner  as  you  know  mine.  I  can  conceive  eveiy  emotion 
you  must  experience,  as  you  divine  all  that  I  feel  at  this  mo- 
ment ;  and  though  separated,  we  are  united  by  that  sympathy 
which  survives  all  events. 

I  should  have  desired  to  learn  the  birth  of  the  Ring  of 
Rome  from  yourself,  and  not  from  the  sound  of  the  cannon  of 
Evreux,  or  the  courier  of  the  prefect.  I  know,  however,  that 
in  preference  to  all,  your  first  attentions  are  due  to  the  public 
authorities  of  the  State,  to  the  foreign  ministers,  to  your  fam- 
ily, and  especially  to  the  fortunate  Princess  who  has  realized 
your  dearest  hopes.  She  can  not  be  more  tenderly  devoted 
to  you  than  I ;  but  she  has  been  enabled  to  contribute  more 
toward  your  happiness  by  securing  that  of  France.  She  has 


JOSEPHINE  TO  NAPOLEON.          307 

then  a  right  to  your  first  feelings,  to  all  your  cares ;  and  I, 
who  was  but  your  companion  in  times  of  difficulty— I  can  not 
ask  more  than  a  place  in  your  affection  far  removed  from  that 
occupied  by  the  Empress  Maria  Louisa.  Not  till  you  shall 
have  ceased  to  watch  by  her  bed,  not  till  you  are  weary  of 
embracing  your  son,  will  you  take  the  pen  to  converse  with 
your  best  friend — I  will  wait. 

Meanwhile  it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  delay  telling  you, 
that  more  than  auy  one  in  the  world  do  I  rejoice  in  your  joy. 
And  you  doubt  not  my  sincerity  when  I  here  say,  that  far 
from  feeling  affliction  at  a  sacrifice  necessary  for  the  repose  of 
all,  I  congratulate  myself  in  having  made  it  since  I  now  suffer 
alone.  But  I  am  wrong — I  do  not  suffer  while  you  are  hap- 
py ;  and  have  but  one  regret,  in  not  having  yet  done  enough 
to  prove  to  you  how  dear  you  were  to  me.  I  have  no  account 
of  the  health  of  the  Empress.  I  dare  to  depend  upon  you, 
sire,  so  far  as  to  hope  that  I  shall  have  circumstantial  details 
of  the  great  event  which  secures  perpetuity  of  the  name  you 
havfe  so  nobly  illustrated. 

Eugene  and  Hortense  will  write  me,  imparting  their  own 
satisfaction.  But  it  is  from  you  that  I  desire  to  know  if  your 
child  be  well,  if  he  resemble  you,  if  I  shall  one  day  be  per- 
mitted to  see  him ;  in  short,  I  expect  from  you  unlimited 
confidence,  and  upon  such  I  have  some  claims,  in  considera- 
tion, sire,  of  the  boundless  attachment  I  shall  cherish  for  you 
while  life  remains. 

JOSEPHINE. 

The  above  letter  is  taken  from  Meme's  "  Life  of  Josephine." 
Whence  he  obtained  it  we  are  not  informed.  He  also  informs 
us  that  the  next  morning  Eugene  arrived,  bearing  a  message 
to  his  mother  from  the  Emperor.  Eugene  assured  his  mother 
that  the  Emperor  said  to  him  on  departing, 

"You  are  going  to  see  your  mother,  Eugene  ;  tell  her  that 
I  am  certain  that  she  will  rejoice  more  than  any  one  at  my 
good  fortune.  I  would  have  written  to  her  already,  had  I  not 


808  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

been  completely  absorbed  in  the  pleasures  of  looking  upon 
my  son.  I  tear  myself  from  him  only  to  attend  to  the  most 
indispensable  duties.  This  evening  I  will  discharge  the  sweet- 
est duty  of  all ;  I  will  write  to  Josephine." 

About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  as 
Josephine  was  surrounded  by  her  friends  in  the  saloon  of  Na- 
varre, the  folding  doors  were  thrown  open  with  much  cere- 
mony and  a  page  announced  from  the  Emperor.  A  beautiful 
boy  in  the  costume  of  the  court  entered  the  apartment  and 
presented  the  Empress  with  a  billet  from  Napoleon.  Joseph- 
ine immediately  retired  to  read  the  long  looked-lbr  coimmmi- 
cation  in  her  private  chamber.  She  beckoned  to  Eugene  to 
accompany  her. 

"  On  re-entering  the  saloon,"  writes  a  lady  who  was  present 
on  the  occasion,  "  after  an  absence  of  half  an  hour,  it  was  easy 
to  perceive  that  she  had  been  weeping,  and  that  the  viceroy, 
who  had  accompanied  her,  exhibited  also  much  emotion. 
We  dared  not  question  the  Empress ;  but  observing  our  curi- 
osity she  had  the  condescension  to  gratify  us  with  a  sight  of 
the  letter.  It  consisted  of  about  ten  or  twelve  lines,  traced 
on  one  page,  and  was,  as  usual,  covered  with  blots.  I  do  not 
exactly  remember  the  commencement,  but  the  conclusion  was, 
word  for  word, 

"  This  infant,  in  concert  with  our  Eugene,  will  constitute 
my  happiness  and  that  of  France" 

" '  Is  it  possible,'  remarked  the  Empress,  '  to  be  more  amia- 
ble :  could  any  thing  be  better  calculated  to  soothe  whatever 
might  be  painful  in  my  thoughts  at  this  moment,  did  I  not  so 
sincerely  love  the  Emperor  ?  This  uniting  of  my  son  with 
his  own  is,  indeed,  worthy  of  him,  who,  when  he  wills  is  the 
most  delightful  of  men.  This  it  is  which  has  so  much  moved 
me.' 

"  Calling  then  for  the  messenger,  Josephine  said,  '  For  the 
Emperor,  and  for  yourself,'  giving  the  page  a  letter  for  Napo- 
leon, and  a  small  morocco  case  for  the  messenger,  containing 
a  diamond  broach,  value  one  thousand  dollars." 


JOSEPHINE    TO     MAEIA     LOUISA.  309 


LETTER  IV. 

TO  THE  EMPRESS  AT  NAVARRE. 

PARIS,  March  22,  1811. 

My  love — I  have  received  your  letter.  I  thank  you.  My 
son  is  stout  and  very  well.  I  hope  that  he  will  be  prospered, 
qu'il  viendra  a  bien.  He  has  my  chest,  my  mouth,  and  eyes. 
I  hope  that  he  will  fulfill  his  destiny. 

I  am  always  well  pleased  with  Eugene.  He  has  never 
caused  me  any  dissatisfaction.  NAPOLEON. 

It  is  said  that  Josephine,  in  her  sincere  and  ingenuous  be- 
nevolence, endeavored  to  cultivate  friendly  relations  with  Maria 
Louisa.  "  But  the  latter,"  Josephine  is  reported  to  have  said, 
"rejected  the  .proposal  with  such  manifest  dissatisfaction  that 
it  was  not  renewed.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  Her  presence  would 
have  given  me  no  uneasiness,  and  I  might  have  bestowed  good 
counsel  as  to  the  best  means  of  pleasing  the  Emperor." 


The  following  letter  is  given  by  Memes  as  one  which  she 
wrote  on  the  present  occasion.  It  seems  characteristic  of  Jo- 
sephine, and  certainly  exhibits  much  magnanimity  of  spirit. 

LETTER  V. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    MARIA    LOUISA. 

NAVARRE,  March,  1811. 

Madame — While  you  were  only  the  second  spouse  of  the 
Emperor,  I  deemed  it  becoming  to  maintain  silence  toward 
your  Majesty.  That  reserve,  I  think,  may  be  laid  aside,  now 
that  you  are  become  the  mother  of  an  heir  to  the  Empire. 
You  might  have  had  some  difficulty  in  crediting  the  sincerity 
of  her  whom  perhaps  you  regarded  as  a  rival ;  you  will  give 
faith  to  the  felicitations  of  a  Frenchwoman,  for  you  have  be- 


810  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

stowed  a  son  upon  France.  Your  amiableness  and  sweetness 
of  disposition  have  gained  you  the  heart  of  the  Emperor — your 
benevolence  merits  the  blessings  of  the  unfortunate — the  birth 
of  a  son  claims  the  benedictions  of  all  France. 

How  amiable  a  people,  how  feeling,  how  deserving  of  admi- 
ration, are  the  French !  To  use  an  expression  which  paints 
them  exactly,  "  They  love  to  love."  Oh,  how  delightful,  then, 
to  be  loved  by  them  !  It  is  upon  this  facility,  and  at  the  same 
time  steadiness  of  affection,  that  the  partisans  of  their  ancient 
kings  have  so  long  rested  their  expectations ;  and  here  their 
trust  is  not  without  reason.  Whatever  may  happen,  the  name 
of  Henry  IV.,  for  instance,  will  always  be  reverenced. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  the  Revolution,  without 
corrupting  the  heart,  has  greatly  extended  the  intelligence,  and 
rendered  the  spirits  of  men  more  exacting.  Under  our  kings, 
they  were  satisfied  with  repose,  now  they  demand  glory. 
These,  Madame,  are  the  two  blessings,  the  foretaste  of  which 
you  have  been  called  to  give  to  France.  She  will  enjoy  them 
to  perfection  under  your  son,  if,  to  the  manly  virtues  of  his 
sire,  he  join  those  of  his  august  mother,  by  which  they  may 
be  tempered.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

MALMAISON,  September  5,  1811. 

The  approach  of  autumn,  and  the  great  number  of  the  sick 
whom  I  have  in  my  household,  have  induced  me  to  leave  Na- 
varre, my  dear  Hortense.  I  have  been  at  Malmaison  for  two 
days.  My  health  is  pretty  good,  and  I  shall  have  the  pleasure, 
to-morrow,  of  embracing  your  children.  They  must  come 
here  and  spend  some  time.  I  will  give  them  your  apartment. 
Madame  Boucheporn  will  be  with  them,  and  you  may  rely 
upon  their  being  the  object  of  my  constant  care.  I  have  al- 
ready made  provision  for  playthings,  and  I  will  give  them  as 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          311 

many  as  they  wish  for — but  as  for  sugar-plums,  set  your  mind 
at  ease,  they  shall  have  none. 

As  you  regard  the  poor  as  also  your  children,  I  have  prom 
ised  to  Mademoiselle  Cavanac  to  write  to  you  in  her  favor.  I 
have  sent  to  her  two  hundred  and  forty  dollars.  If  you  can 
give  her  the  same  sum  it  will  be  a  good  deed,  and  so  much 
the  better  since  this  assistance  will  aid  her  in  her  marriage 
with  a  young  man  of  merit,  M.  de  Caglies. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon.  I 
do  not  speak  to  you  of  my  affection  for  you.  You  know  how 
much  I  love  you.  JOSEPHINE. 

My  kindest  remembrance  to  Madame  Broc,  without  forget- 
ting M.  de  Marmol. 


From  the  day  of  the  divorce  until  the  death  of  Josephine,  the 
correspondence  continued  between  the  Emperor  and  the  Em- 
press with  undiminished  respect  and  affection.  Whenever  he 
returned  from  a  journey,  he  immediately  called  upon  Joseph- 
ine. Occasionally  she  saw  the  Bang  of  Rome. 

"The  reserve,  or  rather  jealousy  of  Maria  Louisa,"  says 
Memes,  "  indeed  would  have  prohibited,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
any  communication  with  his  son.  Josephine,  however,  did 
frequently  see  the  child,  though  secretly ;  for  so  Napoleon  had 
resolved,  both*  in  compliance  with  her  own  request,  and  be- 
cause he  himself  seemed  thence  to  derive  a  pleasure.  These 
meetings  took  place  at  Bagatelle,  a  royal  pavilion  near  Paris, 
Napoleon  and  Madame  de  Montesquieu,  governess  to  the 
young  prince,  being  the  sole  confidants.  At  first  these  inter- 
views were  frequent,  and  always  most  affecting  on  Josephine's 
part.  But  afterward,  as  the  boy  grew  up,  and  the  danger  of 
discovery  consequently  augmented,  they  became  more  rare, 
and  were  finally  discontinued  altogether.  The  following  are 
extracts  from  a  letter  written  by  Josephine  to  Napoleon,  after 
the  last  of  these  meetings." 


812  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 


LETTER   VII. 

JOSEPHINB   TO    NAPOLEON. 

Assuredly,  sire,  it  was  not  mere  curiosity  which  led  me  to 
desire  to  meet  the  King  of  Rome.  I  wished  to  examine  his 
countenance,  to  hear  the  sound  of  his  voice,  so  like  your  own, 
to  behold  you  caress  a  son,  on  whom  center  so  many  hopes, 
and  to  repay  him  the  tenderness  which  you  lavished  on  my 
own  Eugene. 

When  you  recall  how  dearly  you-  loved  my  son,  you  will 
not  be  surprised  at  my  affection  for  the  son  of  another,  since 
he  is  yours  likewise,  nor  deem  either  false  or  exaggerated,  senti- 
ments which  you  have  so  fully  experienced  in  your  own  heart. 
The  moment  I  saw  you  enter,  leading  the  young  Napoleon  in 
your  hand,  was  unquestionably  one  of  the  happiest  in  my  life. 
It  effaced,  for  a  time,  the  recollection  of  all  that  had  pre- 
ceded ;  for  never  have  I  received  from  you  a  more  touching 
mark  of  affection.  It  is  more  :  it  is  one  of  esteem,  of  sincere 
attachment. 

Still,  I  am  perfectly  sensible,  sire,  that  these  meetings,  which 
afford  me  so  much  pleasure,  can  not  be  frequently  renewed ; 
and  I  must  not  so  far  intrude  on  your  compliance,  as  to  put  it 
often  under  contribution.  Let  this  sacrifice  to  your  domestic 
tranquillity  be  qne  proof  of  my  desire  to  see  you  happy. 

JOSEPHINE. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

LETTERS  WRITTEN    DURING    THE   TEAR    1812. 

EARLY  in  May  of  this  year,  Napoleon  left  Paris  for  the  fatal 
Russian  campaign.  He  was  accompanied  as  far  as  Dresden 
by  Maria  Louisa.  Just  before  leaving  Paris,  he  called  at  Mal- 
maison  to  bid  adieu  to  Josephine.  Seated  upon  a  circular 
bench  in  the  garden,  before  the  windows  of  the  saloon,  where 
they  could  both  be  seen,  but  not  overheard,  they  for  two  hours 
continued  engaged  most  earnestly  in  conversation.  They  then 
arose,  and  walked  arm-in-arm  to  the  iron  gate  at  the  entrance 
of  the  avenue.  Napoleon  here  kissed  the  hand  of  the  Em- 
press, entered  his  carriage,  and  disappeared.  This  was  almost 
their  last  interview.  The  Emperor  soon  returned  from  Mos- 
cow, overwhelmed  with  disasters,  and  after  a  few  months  of 
despairing  conflict,  was  overwhelmed  and  crushed.  In  his 
last  interview,  fixing  his  eye  tenderly  upon  Josephine,  he  said : 

"  Josephine,  I  have  been  as  fortunate  as  was  ever  man  on 
the  face  of  this  earth.  But  in  this  hour,  when  a  storm  is 
gathering  over  my  head,  I  have  not,  in  this  wide  world,  any 
one  but  you  on  whom  I  can  repose." 


LETTER   I. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

MALMAISON,  June  1,  1812. 

My  most  pleasant  care,  in  arriving  here,  my  dear  daughter, 
is  to  tell  you  how  much  I  have  been  enchanted  with  the  so- 
14 


814  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

journ  I  have  made  at  Saint  Leu.  I  have  regretted  not  to  have 
known  that  your  departure  would  be  postponed  ;  I  should  also 
have  delayed  my  return,  that  I  might  remain  a  longer  time 
with  yotf  and  your  children.  The  few  days  which  I  have 
passed  with  you  have  been  for  me  a  season  of  happiness,  and 
have  done  me  much  good.  All  the  persons  who  come  to  see 
me  find  that  I  was  never  better,  and  I  am  not  surprised  at  it. 
My  health  always  depends  upon  the  impressions  which  I  ex- 
perience, and  all  those  which  I  have  had  while  with  you,  were 
soothing  and  delightful.  I  am  touched  with  all  the  kind 
things  which  the  members  of  your  household  have  said  to  you 
respecting  me.  I  have  experienced  great  pleasure  in  seeing 
them  reunited. 

I  have  received  a  letter  from  Eugene,  dated  the  23d.  He 
is  still  at  Plock  ;  his  health  is  very  good.  He  hopes  soon  to 
see  the  Emperor.  Madame  Dane,  whom  I  have  seen  this 
morning,  has  just  received  a  letter  from  her  husband.  He 
informs  her  that  the  Emperor  left  Dresden  the  27th  of  May. 
Eugene  desires  very  much  that  I  should  go  and  pass  a  few 
weeks  at  Milan,  near  his  wife.  Thus,  my  dear  Hortense,  we 
shall  be,  this  summer,  separated  far  from  each  other.  I  hope 
the  waters  will  do  you  good,  and  I  pray  you  to  let  me  hear 
from  you  frequently.  ,  -v  • 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.     I  embrace  you  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTE&   II.  :  , 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

GUBIN,  June  20,  1812. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  June.  I  see  no 
objections  to  your  going  to  Milan,  near  the  vice-queen.  You 
will  do  well  to  go  incognito.  You  will  be  very  warm. 

My  health  is  very  good.  Eugene  is  well,  and  conducts 
well.  Never  doubt  my  interest  in  your  welfare,  and  my  affec- 
tion. NAPOLEOX. 


JOSEPHINE     TO     HORTENSE.  315 

LETTER  III. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX-LA-OHA.PELLE. 

MALMAISON-,  July  13^1812. 

I  have  been  very  anxious,  my  dear  daughter ;  and  if  the 
letter  of  M.  de  Macmel  had  not  promptly  reassured  me,  in 
giving  me  better  news,  I  should  have  renounced  my  journey 
to  Italy,  and  have  set  out  immediately  for  Aix-la-Chapelle.  It 
is  fortunate  that  we  do  not  now  need  Corvisart,  for  notwith- 
standing the  strong  desire  he  had  to  go  to  you,  he  has  been 
compelled  to  remain,  suffering  from  the  rheumatism. 

If  my  anxieties  could  have  been  alleviated,  they  would  have 
been  before  the  arrival  of  your  last  courier ;  for,  after  the  letter 
of  M.  de  Lassere,  he  had  judged  that  the  malady  of  Napoleon 
was  a  scarlet  fever,  which  demands  much  care,  but  which  is 
not  dangerous,  particularly  when  the  irruption  comes  out 
well.  I  was  so  unhappy  and  so  anxious  about  you,  my  dear 
daughter,  that  I  had  entreated  the  Archchancellor  to  inquire 
respecting  you  through  the  telegraph  from  Brussels.  I  had 
not  decided  to  set  out  for  Milan  until  after  the  arrival  of  the 
courier  this  morning. 

I  hope  that  before  the  16th,  the  day  of  my  departure,  I 
shall  receive  again  good  news  of  your  son,  for  it  will  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  leave  if  the  least  occasion  for  solicitude  re- 
mains. But  I  entreat  you  to  take  your  children  back  to  Paris 
as  soon  as  possible.  You  know  that  at  Aix  it  is  very  damp. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.  \  will  write  to  you  again  before 
my  departure.  I  entreat  you  to  take  care  of  your  health.  I 
embrace  you  tenderly,  and  also  your  children.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  IV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

MALMAISON,  July  15,  1812. 

I  am  very  happy,  my  dear  daughter,  from  the  good  news 
rhich  I  received  yesterday,  through  a  letter  which  I  received 


316  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

from  Madame  de  Broc,  and  this  morning  from  Mademoiselle 
Cochelet.  Indeed,  bow  much  need  had  I  to  be  relieved  from 
the  state  of  anxiety  and  grief  which  I  was  suffering.  I  love 
to  think  that  there  is  no  longer  cause  for  solicitude,  and  after 
this  assurance  I  shall  not  much  longer  delay  my  journey.  I 
shall  leave  to-morrow,  the  16th,  and  perhaps,  before  my  de- 
parture I  shall  again  receive  tidings  from  you.  You  have 
done  well  to  separate  Louis  from  Napoleon.  I  hope  that  this 
precaution  will  have  a  good  effect,  but  I  entreat  you  to  take 
back  these  children  as  soon  as  possible. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.     Write  to  me  frequently,  if  you 
wish  that  I  should  enjoy  the  least  tranquillity  and  happiness. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   V. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

MIL  AX,  July  28,  1812. 

I  have  arrived  here  very  much  fatigued,  my  dear  Hortense. 
Though  before  my  departure  I  had  no  longer  any  solicitude 
about  Napoleon,  I  have  experienced  during  the  jouruey,  the 
effects  of  that  which  I  have  already  felt.  I  have  also  suffered, 
since  I  left  Geneva,  from  the  unfavorable  weather,  and  from 
the  inundations  of  the  Rhine  which  overflowed  the  roads. 

At  last,  here  I  am  at  Milan.  The  pleasure  of  seeing  Au- 
guste  re-animates  me.  Her  health,  is  very  good  and  her  pveg- 
nancy  quite  advanced.  I  am  with  her  at  the  villa  Bonaparte. 
I  occupy  the  apartment  of  Eugene.  You  can  imagine  the 
pleasure  I  have  had  in  becoming  acquainted  with  his  little 
family.  Your  nephew  is  very  strong ;  he  is  an  infant  Her- 
cules. His  sisters  are  extremely  pretty ;  the  eldest  is  a  beauty. 
She  resembles  her  mother  in  the  upper  part  of  her  face.  The 
younger  has  a  physiognomy  lively  and  spiritual.  She  will  be 
very  pretty. 

I  have  received  here  three  letters  from  Eugene,  the  last 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HOBTEN8E.          3lY 

dated  the  13th.  His  health  is  very  good.  He  continually 
pursues  the  Russians  without  reaching  them.  It  is  generally 
hoped  that  the  campaign  will  not  be  long.  May  that  hope  be 
realized !  I  have  received  letters  from  Madame  Broc  and 
from  Mademoiselle  Cochelet.  I  pray  you  to  thank  them. 
The  letter  you  wrote  me  on  the  18th,  has  arrived.  You  are 
very  kind  not  to  have  forgotten  me  in  the  midst  of  your  anx- 
iety for  your  son.  Embrace  for  me  that  dear  child,  and  my 
little  Oui  Oui,1  (Yes  Yes.) 

You  do  not  speak  of  your  health.  I  hope  the  waters  may 
have  done  you  good  ;  it  is  the  most  earnest  wish  of  a  mother 
who  loves  vou  more  than  she  does  herself.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   VI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

MILAN,  July  31,  1812. 

I  hasten  to  announce  to  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  that  the 
vice-queen  has  given  birth  to  a  daughter  to-day,  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning.8  Yesterday  at  two  o'clock  the  first  pains 
commenced,  but  not  sufficiently  severe  to  prevent  her  from 
dining  with  me,  and  from  going  then  to  ride  in  the  caleche. 
At  midnight  she  suffered  more,  and  from  that  moment  I 
have  not  left  her,  until  the  accouchment  was  entirely  finished. 
She  is  perfectly  well  and  her  daughter  is  superb,  full  of  vigor 
and  health.  I  will  write  you  often  about  her. 

To-day  I  am  a  little  fatigued,  not  having  retired  to  sleep 
until  five  o'clock.  Auguste,  whom  I  have  just  seen,  is  wonder- 
fully well.  She  has  had  a  very  good  sleep,  and  assures  me 
that  she  was  never  better.  I  hope  that  our  dear  Napoleon 
continues  to  improve,  and  that  the  little  Oui  Oui  is  doing 
well.  Embrace  them  for  me. 

1   Old  Oui,  was  a  pet  name  given  to  the  little  Louis  Napoleon. 
a  The  child  whose  birth  is  here  recorded  was  the  Princess  Amelia, 
subsequently  married  to  the  Emperor  of  Brazil. 


818  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense.     You  know  with  what  tender- 
ness I  lore  you.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VH. 

JOSEPHINE    TO   HOETENSE    AT   AIX-LA-CHAPELLE. 

MILAN,  August  4, 1812. 

I  have  been  suffering  for  several  days,  my  dear  Hortense ; 
but  the  emetic  I  took  yesterday  has  relieved  me  and  I  am 
much  better  to-day.  I  intend,  if  the  season  permits,  to  pass 
a  fortnight  at  the  waters  of  Aix  (in  Savoy),  before  returning 
to  Paris.  For  how  long  a  time  have  we  been  separated  !  I 
shall  be  happy  again  to  see  you  and  to  embrace  your  children 
for  whom  I  have  felt  so  much  solicitude.  Auguste  sends  her 
most  affectionate  remembrance  to  you.  She  is  most  lovely, 
and  far  from  being  debilitated  by  her  confinement.  I  find  her 
more  beautiful  and  fresh  than  I  have  ever  seen  her  before. 
Her  children  are  superb.  The  eldest1  particularly,  is  remarka- 
ble. Auguste  loves  Eugene  tenderly.  I  see  unceasing  proofs 
of  this,  and  it  is  a  great  happiness  to  me.  She  has  received 
news  from  him  up  to  the  31st  of  July.  He  is  very  well  and 
seems  contented. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  love  you  tenderly,  and  tenderly 
embrace  you.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VIII. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

PREGNY,2  near  Geneva,  September  30,  1812. 
I  have  received  your  letter,  my  dear  Hortense,  at  the  mo- 
ment of  my  departure  from  Aix.     I  thank  you  for  the  news 

1  The  eldest  daughter  of  Eugene  and  Auguste,  was  Josephine,  who 
subsequently  married  Oscar,  the  King  of  Sweden,  son  of  Bernadotte. 

2  Pregny  was  a  small  chateau  in  the  vicinity  of  Geneva,  situated 
upon  the  borders  of  the  lake,  in  full  view  of  Mont  Blanc. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          319 

which  you  have  sent  rne,  and  for  your  attention  in  re-assuring 
me  respecting  Eugene.1  The  Empress  is  very  amiable  in  en- 
deavoring to  save  the  vice-queen  from  anxiety.  I  am  touched 
with  an  attention  so  kind  and  so  obliging.  Nevertheless,  not 
having  received  letters  from  him,  and  the  bulletin  not  having 
yet  appeared,  I  can  not  guard  myself  against  anxiety.  I 
await  tidings  with  impatience.  If  you  receive  any  letters,  im- 
mediately inform  me  of  their  contents. 

I  have  derived  much  benefit  from  the  waters,  but  the  cold 
drove  me  away,  and  I  came  here  to  repose  a  few  days  before 
returning  to  Malmaison.  I  experience  much  pleasure  in  find- 
ing myself  at  Pregny.  Although  it  had  been  furnished  in  a 
hurry,  the  sojourn  which  you  have  made  in  this  house  renders 
it  dear  to  me.  The  Queen  of  Spain"  has  returned  to  Paris. 
I  have  had  much  pleasure  in  passing  a  few  moments  with  her ; 
she  was  kind  and  affectionate,  as  usual.  The  Princess  of 
Sweden  has  also  been  very  kind  to  me.  I  therefore  did  not 
wish  to  prolong  my  stay  at  Aix  after  their  departure.  I  should 
have  been  still  more  happy  if  you  had  been  able  to  come  and 
join  me.  But  I  console  myself  for  this,  in  thinking  that  the 
end  of  our  separation  is  approaching,  and  that  I  soon  shall 
be  able  to  embrace  you  and  also  my  grandchildren  as  tenderly 
as  I  love  you. 

JOSEPHINE. 

1  Eugeno  was  now  with  the  Emperor  struggling  amid  all  the  disas- 
ters of  the  Russian  campaign.     The  Empress  Maria  Louisa  had  kindly 
written  to  Eugene's  wife,  informing  her  that  she  had  heard  of  the 
safety  of  her  husband. 

2  The  Queen  of  Spain  was  the  wife  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  Julia 
Clary.     Bernadotte,  the  King  of  Sweden,  had  married  her  sister  Eu- 
genia Clary.     It  was  to  Oscar,  the  son  of  Bernadotte  and  Eugenia, 
that  the  lovely  Josephine  Beauharnais  was  subsequently  married. 
Julia  and  Eugenie  Clary  were  both  remarkable  women  for  personal 
loveliness  and  great  moral  excellence.     Eugenie  was  one  of  the  early 
loves  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon.    The  circumstances  of  those  stormy 
times  separated  their  destinies. 


320  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 


LETTER  IX. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

MALHAISON  (without  date),  1812. 

You  restore  me  to  life  again,  my  dear  Hortense,  in  assuring 
me  that  you  have  read  the  letters  from  the  Emperor  to  the 
Empress.  She  is  very  kind  in  having  showed  them  to  you. 
I  feel  infinitely  grateful  to  her  for  the  friendship  she  manifests 
for  you.  I  acknowledge  that  I  am  all  the  time  exceedingly 
anxious.  Why  does  not  Eugene  write  ?  I  am  compelled,  in 
order  to  calm  my  agitation,  to  believe  that  the  Emperor  for- 
bids him  to  write,  that  there  may  be  no  private  letters.  This, 
however,  would  be  very  cruel,  as  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  to 
see  a  letter  from  our  good  Eugene. 

I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  not  sent  your  children.  The 
weather  has  been  too  cold,  and  while  it  continues  so,  I  love 
them  too  much  to  wish  to  expose  them  to  it.  If,  on  Thursday, 
I  am  disengaged,  I  will  go  and  pass  the  evening  with  you,  for 
I  am  very  sad  in  being  so  near  you,  and  yet  not  seeing  you. 

Good-night,  my  dear  daughter.  I  embrace  you  with  my 
whole  heart,  and  with  my  whole  heart  I  love  you. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  X. 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

PREGNY,  October  2,  1812. 

I  have  this  moment  received  a  letter  from  Eugene,1  my  dear 
Hortense.  He  has  foreseen  our  anxieties,  and  has  hastened  to 
tranquilize  us.  I  send  you  his  letter,  which  will  give  you  as 
much  pleasure  as  it  has  given  me.  The  one  you  wrote  me  on 
the  23d  arrived  at  the  same  time  with  his. 

1  The  letter  from  Eugene,  which  will  be  found  the  next  in  order, 
was  written  immediately  after  the  terrible  battle  of  Borodino. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          321 

I  share  in  all  the  regrets  which  you  feel  for  poor  Caulain- 
court ;'  they  are  very  just,  and  you  will  have  much  difficulty 
in  consoling  his  unhappy  toother.  But,  my  dear  Ilortense, 
do  not  surrender  yourself  to  these  sad  thoughts.  Every  thing 
afflicts  you  too  keenly.  Have  you  not  already  suffered  too 
much  anguish  of  spirit  ?  Lay  aside  these  griefs,  and  I  am 
persuaded  that  your  health  will  be  restored.  It  is  your  sensi- 
bility which  does  you  the  greatest  injury.  I  regret  that  you 
are  not  here  with  me.  The  weather  is  beautiful.  The  view 
of  the  lake,  and  that  of  Mont  Blanc,  are  magnificent.  I  need 
only  to  have  you  with  me  to  experience  with  delight  all  the 
pleasures  of  a  tranquil  life.  Take  care  of  yourself,  my  dear 
Hortense.  Let  me  frequently  hear  from  you.  You  kn.ow 
that  my  health  depends  upon  yours. 

Adieu  ;  I  embrace  you,  you  and  your  children,  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 

1  The  allusion  to  poor  Caulaincourt  will  be  explained  by  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  Abbott's  History  of  Napoleon  : 

"  Napoleon  had  with  him  a  young  officer,  to  whom  he  was  strongly 
attached,  Count  Augustus  Caulaincourt,  brother  of  Caulaincourt  the 
Duke  of  Vicenza.  During  the  anxious  night  before  the  battle,  this  young 
man  did  not  close  his  eyes.  "Wrapped  in  his  cloak,  he  threw  himself 
on  the  floor  of  his  tent,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  miniature  of  hia 
young  bride,  whom  he  had  left  but  a  few  days  after  their  marriage.  In 
the  heat  of  the  battle,  Count  Caulaincourt  stood  by  the  side  of  the  Em- 
peror, awaiting  his  orders.  "Word  was  brought  that  General  Montbrun, 
who  had  been  ordered  to  attack  a  redoubt,  was  killed.  Count  Caulain- 
court was  immediately  instructed  to  succeed  him.  As  he  put  spurs  to 
his  horse,  he  said,  '  I  will  be  at  the  redoubt  immediately,  either  dead 
or  alive.' 

"  He  was  the  first  to  surmount  the  parapet.  At  that  moment  a 
musket-ball  struck  him  dead.  Hevhad  hardly  left  the  side  of  the  Em- 
peror ere  intelligence  was  brought  of  his  death.  The  brother  of  the 
unfortunate  man  was  standing  near,  deeply  afflicted.  Napoleon,  whose 
heart  was  touched  with  sympathetic  grief,  moved  to  his  side,  and  said, 
in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  '  You  have  heard  the  intelligence ;  if  you  wish, 
you  can  retire.'  The  Duke,  in  speechless  grief,  lifted  his  hat  and 
bowed,  declining  the  offer.  The  mangled  remains  of  the  noble  young 
man  were  buried  in  the  blood-red  redoubt  on  the  field  of  Borodino," 
14* 


322  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

LETTER   XL 

EUGENE   TO    JOSEPHINE. 

September  8,  1812. 

My  good  mother — I  write  you  from  the  field  of  battle. 
The  Emperor  has  gained  a  great  victory  over  the  Russians. 
The  battle  lasted  thirteen  hours.  I  commanded  the  right, 
and  hope  that  the  Emperor  will  be  satisfied. 

I  can  not  sufficiently  thank  you  for  your  attentions  and 
kindness  to  my  little  family.  .  You  are  adored  at  Milan,  as 
everywhere  else.  They  write  me  most  charming  accounts  of 
you,  and  you  have  won  the  love  of  every  one  with  whom  you 
have  become  acquainted. 

Adieu.  Please  give  tidings  of  me  to  my  sister.  I  will 
write  to  her  to-morrow.  Your  affectionate  son,  EUGENE. 


LETTER  XII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

MALMAISON  (without  date),  1812. 

I  hasten,  my  dear  daughter,  to  send  you  letters  from  • 
Eugene.1  I  have  read  them  with  avidity.  From  the  most  in- 
tense anxiety  I  have  passed  to  great  happiness.  At  least,  my 
son  lives  !  I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  the  vice-queen, 
and  I  send  it  to  you.  You  will  return  it  to  me  on  Thursday 
evening,  when  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  embracing  you. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   XIII. 

EUGENE    TO    JOSEPHINE. 

MALVIAVOSLAVITZ,  October  25,  1812. 

I  can  write  you  but  two  words,  my  good  mother,  to  tell  you 
that  I  am  well.  My  corps  of  the  army  had  yesterday  a  very 

1  The  letter  above  referred  to  from  Eugene  will  be  found  the  next  in 
order. 


EUGENE    TO    JOSEPHINE.  323 

brilliant  battle.     I  have  had  a  conflict  with  eight  hostile  divis- 
ions, from  morning  till  evening,  and  preserved  my  position. 
The  Emperor  is  satisfied,  and  you  can  judge  if  I  am  not. 
Your  faithful  and  very  affectionate  son,  EUGENE. 


Napoleon,  a  victor,  left  Moscow  on  the  1 7th  of  October,  to 
return  to  Poland,  and  establish  his  winter  quarters  there.  On 
the  18th,  he  slept  at  Berousk,  about  sixty  miles  from  Moscow. 
Eugene,  with  eighteen  thousand  men,  was  about  twelve  miles 
in  the  advance.  Just  after  midnight,  when  his  exhausted 
troops  were  all  asleep,  he  was  attacked  by  fifty  thousand  Rus- 
sians. JSugene  rallied  his  troops,  and  after  a  long  and  bloody 
conflict,  dispersed  the  vastly  outnumbering  foe,  leaving  the 
ground  covered  with  their  dead.  As  Napoleon,  the  next 
morning,  rode  over  the  field,  he  embraced  Eugene  with  pater- 
nal pride,  exclaiming,  "  This  is  the  most  glorious  of  your  feats 
of  arms." 

Immediately  after  this,  the  Russians  assembled  in  great 
force,  the  storms  of  winter  began,  and  the  awful  retreat  was 
commenced. 

We  have  no  more  letters  for  the  remainder  of  this  year. 
On  the  5th  of  December  Napoleon  left  the  army,  and  on  the 
18th  arrived  at  the  Tuileries.  All  his  energies  were  then  ex- 
pended in  preparing  for  those  last  campaigns  in  which  he  was 
finally  overpowered. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

LETTERS   DURING   THE   YEARS    1813    AND    1814. 

ON  th*e  15th  of  April,  1813,  Napoleon  left  Paris  for  the 
campaign  in  Germany,  which  has  become  so  renowned  through 
the  conflicts  of  Lutzen  and  Bautzen,  Dresden  and  Leipsic. 
Despotic  Europe  rose  in  arms  against  the  republican  Emperor. 
The  conflict  was  protracted  and  terrible. 

Napoleon  left  St.  Cloud  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  for  the 
head-quarters  of  his  army.  Caulaincourt,  who  accompanied 
him,  says : 

"When  the  carriage  started,  the  Emperor,  who  had  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  castle,  threw  himself  back,  placed  his  hand 
on  his  forehead,  and  remained  for  some  time  in  that  meditat- 
ive attitude.  At  length,  rousing  himself  from  his  gloomy  rev- 
erie, he  began  to  trace,  in  glowing  colors,  his  plans  and  pro- 
iects,  the  hopes  he  cherished  of  the  faithful  co-operation  of 
Austria,  etc.  Then  he  resumed  his  natural  simplicity  of  man- 
ner, and  spoke  to  me,  with  emotion,  of  the  regret  he  felt  in 
leaving  his  bonne  Louise,  and  his  lovely  child. 

"  '  I  envy,'  said  he,  '  the  lot  of  the  meanest  peasant  of  my 
empire.  At  my  age  he  has  discharged  his  debts  to  his  coun- 
try, and  may  remain  at  home,  enjoying  the  society  of  his  wife 
and  children,  while  I,  I  must  fly  to  the  camp,  and  engage  in 
the  strife  of  war.  Such  is  the  mandate  of  my  inexplicable 
destiny,' 

"  He  again  sunk  into  his  reverie.  To  divert  him  from  it,  I 
turned  the  conversation  on  the  scene  of  the  preceding  evening, 
when,  at  the  Elysee,  the  Empress,  in  the  presence  of  the 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          325 

princes,  grand  dignitaries,  and  ministers,  had  taken  the  solemn 
oath  in  the  character  of  Regent. 

" '  My  good  Louise,'  said  the  Emperor,  '  is  gentle  and  sub- 
missive. I  can  depend  on  her.  Her  love  and  fidelity  will 
never  fail  me.  In  the  current  of  events  there  may  arise  cir- 
cumstances which  will  decide  the  fate  of  an  empire.  In  that 
case  I  hope  the  daughter  of  the  Caesars  will  be  inspired  by  the 
spirit  of  her  grandmother,  Maria  Louisa.'  " 

The  awful  disasters  of  Dresden  and  Leipsic  compelled  the 
Emperor,  in  November,  to  return^to  Paris,  to  raise  reinforce- 
ments. Here,  by  the  most  vigorous  efforts,  he  created  another 
small  army  to  resist  the  million  of  allied  troops  who  were 
marching  triumphantly  to  invade  Fiance., 

Early  in  January,  1814,  with  the  few  and  feeble,  yet  courage- 
ous battalions  thus  organized,  he  again  marched  from  Paris  to 
meet  his  foes.  The  struggle  was  short,  but  awful.  Napoleon 
was  overwhelmed  by  resistless  numbers.  France  was  exhaust- 
ed, and  Paris  capitulated  March  31st,  1814.  On  the  llth  of 
April  Napoleon  abdicated,  and  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month 
departed  for  the  Island  of  Elba.  Hirlly  four  weeks  after  Na- 
poleon's arrival  at  Elba,  the  gentle  and  sorrow-stricken  Joseph- 
ine, on  the  29th  of  May,  sank  into  the  repose  of  the  grave. 

It  was  during  the  stormy  scenes  of  these  twelve  months  of 
disaster  and  anguish  that  the  letters  in  the  present  chapter 
were  written. 


LETTER  I. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE. 

MALMAISOJT,  June  11,  1813. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  7th,  my  dear  Hortense.  I 
see  with  pleasure  that  you  have  already  been  benefited  by 
the  waters.  I  advise  you  to  continue  them,  in  taking,  as  you 
do,  a  few  days  of  repose.  Be  very  "tranquil  respecting  your 
children.  They  are  perfectly  well.  Their  complexion  is  of 
the  lily  and  the  rose.  I  can  assure  you  that  since  they  have 


326  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

been  here  they  have  not  had  the  slightest  indisposition.  I 
must  relate  to  you  a  very  pretty  response  on  the  part  of  Oui 
Oui.  The  Abbe  Bertrand  caused  him  to  read  a  fable,  where 
there  was  a  question  about  metamorphoses.  Being  called  to 
explain-  the  word,  he  said  to  the  Abbe : 

"  I  wish  I  could  change  myself  into  a  little  bird,  I  would 
then  fly  away  at  the  hour  of  your  lesson,  but  I  would  return 
when  M.  Hase  (his  teacher  of  German)  arrived." 

"  But,  prince,"  replied  the  Abbe,  "  to  say  that  to  me  is  not 
being  polite  to  me." 

"  Oh  !"  replied  Oui  Oui,  "  that  which  I  say  is  only  for  the 
lesson,  not  for  the  man." 

Do  you  not  think,  with  me,  that  that  repartee  was  very  in- 
genious. It  was  impossible  to  extricate  himself  from  the  em- 
barrassment with  more  delicacy  and  gracefulness.  Your  chil- 
dren were  with  me  when  I  received  your  letter.  They  were 
very  happy  to  hear  tidings  from  their  mamma.  Continue  to 
write  often,  my  dear  daughter,  for  their  sake,  and  for  mine  : 
it  is  the  only  means  of  enabling  me  to  endure  your  absence. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Hortense ;  I  embrace  you  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   II. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   AIX,  IN   SAVOY. 

MALMAISON,  June  16,  1813. 

What  a  horrible  accident,  my  dear  Hortense !  What  a 
friend  you  have  lost,  and  by  what  a  frightful  calamity !  Since 
yesterday,  when  I  heard  of  it,  I  have  been  so  horror-struck  as 
not  to  be  able  to  write  to  you.  Every  moment  I  have  before 
my  eyes  the  fate  of  that  poor  Adele.1  Every  body  is  in  tears 

1  Madame  de  Broc,  widow  of  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  court  of  Hol- 
land, and  who  had  been  frorn-cliildhood  an  intimate  friend  of  Hortense, 
while  visiting  with  Hortense  a  cascade  near  Aix,  in  Savoy,  slipped  into 
the  torrent,  and  before  the  eyes  of  her  distracted  friends,  perished  in 
the  tumultuous  waters. 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTEN8E.          327 

for  her.  She  was  so  beloved,  so  worthy  of  being  beloved,  by 
her  excellent  qualities,  and  by  her  attachment  for  you !  But 
yourself,  my  dear  Hortense,  how  much  solicitude  and  anxiety 
I  have  for  you.  I  can  think  of  nothing  but  what  condition 
you  are  in.  I  arn  so  anxious,  that  I  send  my  chamberlain,  M. 
de  Turpin  to  you,  that  he  may  give  me  more  certain  intelli- 
gence respecting  your  health.  I  shall  make  haste  to  leave, 
myself,  for  a  short  time,  that  my  presence  and  my  care  may 
be  useful  to  you.  I  feel  keenly  your  grief.  It  is  too  well 
founded.  But,  my  dear  daughter,  think  of  your  children,  who 
are  so  worthy  of  your  love.  Preserve  yourself  for  them,  you 
are  so  necessary  for  them !  Think,  also,  of  your  mother,  who 
loves  your  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  IH. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HOKTENSE. 

•» 

MALMAISON,  June  18,  1813. 

Your  letter  has  reanimated  me,  my  dear  Hortense.  In  the 
dejection  in  which  I  was,  I  experienced  time  consolation  in 
seeing  your  hand-writing,  and  in  being  assured  by  yourself 
that  you  strive  to  conquer  your  grief.  I  fully  realize  how 
much  it  must  cost  you.  Your  letter,  so  tender,  so  touching, 
has  renewed  my  tears.  Ever  since  this  frightful  accident  I 
have  been  sick.  Alas !  rny  dear  daughter,  you  did  not  need 
this  new  trial. 

I  have  embraced  your  children  for  you.  They  also  are 
deeply  afflicted  and  think  of  you  very  much.  I  am  consoled 
in  thinking  that  you  will  not  forget  us,  and  that  you  will 
strive  to  maintain  your  fortitude  for  their  sake,  and  for  mine. 
It  is  the  strongest  proof  of  affection  you  can  give  us.  I 
thank  you  for  it,  my  dear  Hortense,  my  daughter  tenderly 
beloved. 

JOSEPHINE. 


328  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 


LETTER   IV. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX    IN    SAVOY. 

MALMAISON,  1813. 

I  can  not  permit  your  courier  to  leave  without  transmitting 
to  you  intelligence  from  ine,  iny  dear  daughter ;  without  let- 
ting you  know  how  much  I  think  of  you.  I  fear  that  you 
may  surrender  yourself  too  much  to  the  grief  which  you 
have  experienced.  I  shall  not  feel  fully  reassured  until  M. 
Turpin  shall  have  returned.  Think  of  your  charming  chil- 
dren, my  dear  Hortense ;  think  also  of  a  mother  who  adores 
you,  and  whom  your  life  alone  attaches  to  this  world.  I  hope 
that  all  these  motives  will  give  you  courage  to  support  with 
more  resignation  the  loss  of  a  friend  so  tender. 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Eugene;  he  fully  shares 
your  grief,  and  desires  that  you  would  go  and  pass  some  time 
with  him,  if  you  have  sufficient  strength.  I  should  be  happy 
to  know  that  you  were  now  with  him.  Your  children  are 
enjoying  perfect  health  ;  they  are  truly  interesting.  It  would, 
indeed,  touch  your  feelings  if  you  knew  how  much  they  think 
of  you.  Life  is  very  precious,  and  one  clings  to  it  when  one 
has  such  good  children. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter ;  think  often  of  a  mother  who 
loves  you  tenderly  and  who  tenderly  embraces  you. 

JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Remember  me  to  M.  d'Aijuzon.  Every  one  here 
shares  your  grief. 


LETTER   V. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT    AIX    IN    SAVOY. 

MALMAISOX,  June  29,  1813. 

M.  de  Turpin  has  brought  me  your  letter,  my  dear  daughter. 
I  see  with  pain  how  sad  and  melancholy  you  still  are ;  but  it 
is  at  least  a  great  consolation  to  me  to  be  assured  that  your 


JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE.          329 

health  has  not  severely  suffered.  Take  courage,  my  dear 
Hortense ;  I  hope  that  happiness  will  yet  be  your  lot.  You 
have  passed  through  many  trials :  have  not  all  persons  their 
griefs ;  the  only  difference  is  in  the  greater  or  less  fortitude 
of  soul  with  which  one  supports  them.  That  which  ought 
particularly  to  soothe  your  grief  is  that  every  one  shares  it 
with  you.  There  are  none  who  do  not  regret  our  poor  Adele 
as  much  for  themselves  as  for  you. 

Your  children  mourn  over  your  sorrows.  Every  thing  an- 
nounces in  them  an  excellent  character  and  a  strong  attach- 
ment for  you.  The  more  I  see  of  them  the  more  I  love  them. 
Nevertheless  I  do  not  spoil  them.  Feel  easy  on  their  account. 
We  follow  exactly  what  you  have  prescribed  for  their  regimen 
and  their  studies.  When  they  have  done  well  during  the 
week,  I  invite  them  to  breakfast  and  dine  with  me  on  the  Sab- 
bath. The  proof  that  they  are  in  good  health  is,  that  they 
have  grown  much.  Napoleon  had  one  eye  slightly  inflamed 
yesterday,  from  the  sting  of  a  gnat ;  he  was  not,  however,  on 
that  account,  less  well  than  usual.  To-day  it  is  no  longer 
manifest.  It  would  not  be  worth  mentioning,  were  we  not  in 
the  habit  of  rendering  to  you  an  exact  account  of  every  thing 
which  concerns  them.  The  day  of  the  arrival  of  M.  de  Tur- 
pin,  I  had  received  from  Paris  two  little  golden  hens,  which 
by  means  of  an  ingenious  contrivance,  laid  golden  eggs.  I  gave 
them  to  the  children  as  a  present  from  you,  coming  from  Aix. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter ;  let  me  hear  from  you,  and  think  of 
me,  of  your  mother  who  loves  you  tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER   VI. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   AIX    IN    SAVOY. 

MALMAISON,  August  6,  1813. 

The  beautiful  days  of  summer  have  at  last  come  with  the 
month  of  August.  I  hope  that  they  will  strengthen  you,  ray 
dear  daughter.  Your  lungs  will  feel  the  influence  of  them, 


330  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

and  tbe  baths  will  do  you  much  more  good.  I  see  with 
pleasure  that  you  have  not  forgotten  the  years  of  your  child- 
hood, and  you  are  very  kind  to  your  mother  in  recalling  them 
to  her.  I  did  right  in  making  happy  two  children  so  good 
and  so  affectionate,  and  they  have  since  abundantly  recom- 
pensed me  for  it.  Your  children  will  do  the  same  for  you,  my 
dear  Hortense.  Their  hearts  resemble  yours ;  they  will  never 
cease  to  love  you.  Their  health  is  wonderfully  good,  and  they 
have  never  been  more  fresh,  and  vigorous. 

The  little  Oui  Oui  is  always  gallant  and  amiable  to  me. 
Two  days  ago,  in  seeing  Madame  Tascher  leave  us,  who  went 
to  join  her  husband  at  the  springs,  he  said  to  Madame  Bon- 
cheporn, 

"  She  must  love  her  husband  very  much  indeed,  to  be  will- 
ing, for  him,  to  leave  my  grandmother? 

Do  you  not  think  that  was  charming  ?  On  the  same  day 
he  went  to  walk  in  the  woods  of  Butard.  As  soon  as  he  was 
in  the  grand  avenue  he  threw  his  hat  into  the  air,  shouting, 

"  Oh,  how  I  love  beautiful  nature? 

Not  a  day  passes  in  which  some  one  is  not  amused  by  his 
amiability.1  The  children  animate  all  around  me.  Judge  if 
you  have  not  rendered  me  happy,  in  leaving  them  with  me. 
I  can  not  be  more  happy,  until  the  day  in  which  I  shall  see  you. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.  I  love  you  and  embrace  you 
tenderly.  JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  VII. 

TO    THE    EMPRESS    AT   MALMAISON. 

TRIANON,  August  25,  1813. 

I  have  received  your  letter.  I  see  with  pleasure  that  you 
are  in  good  health.  I  have  been  some  days  at  Trianon.  I 

1  The  above  anecdotes  of  the  childhood  of  Louis  Napoleon,  now 
Emperor  of  France,  all  will  read  with  interest.  In  subsequent  life  he 
has  more  fully  developed  the  traits  here  exhibited.  The  stories  in 
circulation  in  this  country  about  his  dissipation  are  entirely  unfounded. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          331 

Intend  to  go  to  Compeigne.  My  health  is  very  good.  Intro- 
duce order  into  your  affairs.  Do  not  expend  more  than  three 
hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Lay  aside  as  much  yearly. 
That  will  leave  a  reserve  of  three  millions  of  dollars  in  ten 
years  for  your  grand-children.  It  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to 
give  them  something,  and  to  be  useful  to  them.  Instead  of 
that  they  tell  me  that  you  are  in  debt.  That  is  very  bad. 
Give  your  personal  attention  to  your  affairs,  and  do  not  sur- 
render them  to  those  who  wish  to  take  charge  of  them.  If 
you  wish  to  please  me,  so  manage  that  I  may  know  that  you 
have  a  large  treasure.  Judge  how  bad  an  opinion  I  must 
have  of  you,  if  I  know  that  you  are  in  debt,  with  a  revenue  of 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Adieu,  my  love ;  take  care  of  your  health.      NAPOLEON. 

There  is  some  error  in  the  date  of  this  letter.  On  the  25th 
of  August,  1813,  Napoleon  was  near  Dresden,  concentrating 
his  troops  for  the  terrible  battle  which  took  place  beneath  the 
walls  of  that  city.  In  November  and  December  Napoleon 
was  in  the  vicinity  of  Paris. 

In  reference  to  Josephine's  expenses,  Memes  says : 
"  Out  of  an  income  of  six  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year, 
a  sum  by  no  means  large  with  an  imperial  title  and  establish- 
ment conforming,  to  be  supported,  between  twenty  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars  a  year  were  expended,  in  charity,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Navarre  alone.  This  is  exclusive  of  the 
sums  disbursed  to  the  poor  at  Malrnaison,  and  throughout  the 
whole  of  France,  for  wherever  misfortune  was  known  to  Jo- 
sephine, its  claims  met  with  sympathy  and  relief.  Nor  was 
this  a  thoughtless  profusion,  as  some  have  represented,  or 
productive  of  embarrassment  in  her  family  concerns.  Her 
charities  were  confided  to  competent  and  pious  men,  while 
her  own  sorrows  had  taught  discrimination ;  and  the  slight 
disorder  at  first  occasioned  by  the  injudicious  pus-chases  of  an 
agent  at  Navarre ;  the  waste  of  her  attendants,  too  apt  to  for- 
get the  diminished  resources  of  their  mistress,  and  it  may  be 


832  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

her  own  inexperience  of  a  limited  incom?,  was  quickly  restored, 
the  establishments  at  Malmaison  and  Navarre  being  latterly 
distinguished  alike  for  economy  and  elegance." 


LETTER  VIII. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE,  AT   PARIS. 

MALMAISON,  Saturday  evening,  1813. 

My  dear  Hortense — Monsieur  and  Madame  Remusat  dined 
yesterday  at  Malmaison.  They  have  assured  me  that  King 
Louis  has  written  to  the  Emperor  for  reconciliation  with  him, 
saying,  that  since  the  Emperor  is  now  in  the  midst  of  misfor- 
tunes, he  implores  that  he  may  no  longer  be  separated  from 
him.  This  is  certainly  very  kind  and  praiseworthy.  But 
this  return  leads  me  to  fear  new  griefs  for  you,  and  that  idea 
afflicts  me.  Have  courage,  my  dear  daughter,  and  a  soul 
pure  as  yours,  must  always,  in  the  end,  triumph  over  every 
thing. 

I  have  the  greatest  desire  to  see  you.  I  shall  go  to  pass 
the  d:iy  with  you  on  Tuesday.  Eugene  has  made  his  retreat 
with  much  order.  He  was,  on  the  29th  of  October,  at  four 
leagues  from  Trevise.  The  Italians  show  much  energy.  May 
my  children  be  perfectly  happy.  It  is  the  single  wish  of  my 
heart, 

Adieu,  my  beloved  Hortense ;  I  embrace  you  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  IX. 

JOSEPHINE  TO  HORTENSE,  AT  PARIS. 

MALMAISON,  1814. 

I  send  to  you,  my  dear  Hortense,  my  response  to  the  vice- 
queen.  If  you  approve  of  it,  will  you  send  it  to  Lavalette,  that 
it  may  be  forwarded  ?  I  have  expressed  to  Auguste,  my  sin- 
cere thouD-hts.  I  am  convinced  that  the  Emperor  will  surren- 


JOSEPHINE     TO     HOBTENSE.  333 

der  Italy.  But  no  matter  what  happens,  our  dear  Eugene  will 
have  acquired  a  noble  reputation  ;  that  is  beyond  all  loss.  Let 
me  hear  from  you.  I  can  not  tell  you  how  sad  I  am.  I  have 
endeavored,  in  my  letter,  to  inspire  Auguste  with  fortitude, 
but  I  have  taken  upon  myself  a  heavy  task. 

I  embrace  you  tenderly,  my  dear  Hortense.     JOSEPHINE. 


LETTER  X. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    HORTENSE    AT   PARIS. 

MALMAISON,  March  28th,  1814. 

My  dear  Hortense — I  maintained  my  courage  until  the 
moment  in  which  I  received  your  letter.  I  can  not  think 
without  grief  that  I  am  to  be  separated  from  you,  and  heaven 
only  knows  for  how  long  a  time.  I  follow  your  advice,  and 
to-morrow  I  shall  leave  for  Navarre.  I  have  here  but  sixteen 
men  for  a  guard,  and  all  wounded.  I  shall  take  care  of  them, 
but  in  truth  I  have  no  need  of  them.  I  am  so  unhappy  in 
being  separated  from  my  children,  that  I  am  indifferent  re- 
specting my  fate.  I  am  only  anxious  for  you.  Endeavor  to 
send  me  news,  that  I  may  be  informed  of  what  you  are  doing, 
and  tell  me  where  you  shall  go.  I  shall  endeavor  at  least  to 
follow  you  from  afar. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter  ;  I  embrace  you  very  tenderly. 

JOSEPHINE. 

At  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  Josephine  took  her  carriage 
for  Navarre.  The  allies  were  rapidly  approaching  Paris,  and 
universal  consternation  reigned.  Two  or  three  times  she  was 
alarmed  on  the  road  by  the  cry  of  "  Cossacks."  When  about 
half  way  on  her  journey,  the  pole  of  the  carriage  broke.  It 
was  a  dark  and  stormy  day,  and  the  rain  was  falling  in  tor- 
rents. At  this  moment  a  troop  of  horsemen  appeared  in  the 
distance.  The  Empress,  in  terror,  thinking  them  to  be  barba- 
rian Cossacks,  leaped  from  the  carriage,  and  fled  through  the 


334  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS.  . 

fields.  The  troops  proved  to  be  French.  Her  attendants  fol- 
lowed her,  and  informed  her  of  the  mistake.  She  again  en- 
tered her  carriage,  and  uttered  hardly  a  word  during  the  rest 
of  her  melancholy  journey.  Upon  entering  the  palace  at  Na- 
varre, she  threw  herself  upon  a  couch,  exclaiming : 

"  Surely,  surely  Bonaparte  is  ignorant  of  what  is  passing 
within  sight  of  the  gates  of  Paris,  or,  if  he  knows,  how  cruel 
the  thoughts  which  must  now  agitate  his  breast." 

During  these  terrible  scenes,  Josephine  had  received  many 
hurried  notes  from  Napoleon.  These  letters  have  not  been 
preserved.  The'  last  was  dated  from  Brienne,  where  the  Em- 
peror had  engaged  in  a  desperate  conflict  with  his  vastly  out- 
numbering foes.  The  note  closed  with  the  following  affecting 
words : 

"On  beholding  these  scenes  where  I  had  passed  my  boy- 
hood, and  comparing  my  peaceful  condition  then  with  the  agi- 
tation and  terrors  I  now  experience,  I  several  times  said,  in  my 
own  mind,  '  I  have  sought  to  meet  death  in  many  conflicts — I 
can  no  longer  fear  it — to  me  death  would  now  be  a  blessing, 
but  I  would  once  more  see  Josephine.'  " 


LETTER  XL 

JOSEPHINE   TO    HORTENSE    AT   RAMBOUILLET. 

NAVARRE,  March  31,  1814. 

I  have  been  at  Navarre  since  yesterday,  my  dear  Hortense. 
It  took  me  two  days  to  make  the  journey,  having  come  with 
my  horses.  I  can  not  tell  you  how  sad  I  am.  I  have  had 
fortitude  in  the  afflicted  positions  in  which  I  have  found  my- 
self, and  I  shall  have  enough  to  bear  my  reverses  of  fortune  ; 
but  I  have  not  sufficient  to  sustain  me  under  absence  from  my 
children,  and  uncertainty  respecting  their  fate.  For  two  days 
I  have  not  ceased  to  weep.  Send  me  tidings  respecting  your- 
self and  your  children.  If  you  can  learn  any  thing  respecting 
Eugene  and  his  family,  inform  me. 


NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE.          335 

I  greatly  fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  hear  from  Paris 
while  the  mail  between  Paris  and  Evreux  is  interrupted. 
This  gives  rise  to  many  rumors  ;  among  others,  it  is  asserted 
that  the  bridge  at  Neuilly  has  been  occupied  by  the  enemy. 
That  would  be  very  near  Mahnaison.  Tell  me  what  you  shall 
do.  They  say  that  you  are  at  Chartres :  I  send  you  an  ex- 
press courier.  If  you  remain  in  that  town,  it  will  be  easy  to 
establish  a  correspondence  between  us  which  will  at  least  keep 
me  informed  respecting  you. 

The  Prefect  of  Evreux  will  arrange  with  the  Prefect  of 
Chartres  upon  the  means  of  communication.  There  are  but 
eighteen  leagues  between  Evreux  and  Chartres.  As  you  will 
be  in  a  situation  to  receive  sure  intelligence,  you  can  send  it 
to  me ;  for  the  hews  I  shall  obtain  here  will  be  very  uncertain. 
I  have  been  very  well  received  at  Evreux.  The  national  and 
departmental  guards  escorted  me  to  Navarre.  They  have 
offered  me  a  guard,  which  I  have  not  yet  accepted.  I  did  not 
take  with  me  the  guard  which  General  Ornano  placed  at  my 
disposal.  It  was  composed  of  but  sixteen  sick  and  disabled 
men. 

Adieu,  my  dear  daughter.  I  await  an  answer  from  you  to 
console  me.  I  embrace  you  tenderly,  and  also  your  chil- 
dren. JOSEPHINE. 

Two  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  Hortense  joined  her 
mother  at  Navarre.  Upon  the  invitation  of  the  Emperor 
Alexander  of  Russia,  they  returned  together  to  Malmaison, 
where  Alexander  stationed  a  guard  for  theip  protection. 


LETTER  XII. 

NAPOLEON  TO  JOSEPHINE. 

FOXTAINEBLEAU,  April  16,  1814. 

Dear  Josephine — I  wrote  to  you  On  the  8th  of  this  month 
(it  was  a  Friday),  and  perhaps  you  have  not  received  my  let- 


336  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

ter.  Hostilities  still  continued ;  possibly  it  may  Have  been 
intercepted.  At  present,  communications  must  be  re-estab- 
lished. I  have  formed  my  resolution.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
this  billet  will  reach  you.  I  will  not  repeat  what  I  said  to  you. 
There  I  lamented  my  situation  ;  now  I  congratulate  myself 
thereon.  My  head  and  spirit  are  freed  from  an  enormous 
weight.  My  fell  is  great,  but  at  least  it  is  useful,  as  men  say. 
In  my  retreat,  I  shall  substitute  the  pen  for  the  sword.  The 
history  of  my  reign  will  be  curious.  The  world  has  yet  seen 
me  only  in  profile  ;  I  shall  show  myself  in  full. 

How  many  things  have  I  to  disclose !  how  many  are  the 
men  of  whom  a  fatal  estimate  is  entertained  !  I  have  heaped 
benefits  upon  millions  of  wretches.  What  have  they  done  in 
the  end  for  me  ?  They  have  all  betrayed  me  ;  yes,  all.  I  ex- 
cept from  the  number  the  good  Eugene,  so  worthy  of  you  and 
of  me.  Adieu,  my  dear  Josephine.  Be  resigned,  as  I  am, 
and  ever  remember  him  who  never  forgets,  and  never  will 
forget  you.  Farewell,  Josephine.  NAPOLEON. 

The  above  letter  is  not  found  among  those  whose  authen- 
ticity is  verified  by  Queen  Hortense.  It  is,  however,  found  in 
most  of  the  memoirs  of  Josephine  ;  but  from  what  authority 
it  is  obtained,  we  know  not.  We  also  find  in  nearly  all  the 
memoirs  of  Josephine,  the  letter  to  the  Emperor  which  will  be 
found  the  next  following.  Maria  Louisa  was  not  permitted  to 
accompany  Napoleon  to  Elba.  It  was  then  supposed,  erro- 
neously, that  she  did  not  wish  to  accompany  him.  It  is  said 
that,  as  Josephine  read  the  above  sad  letter  from  the  Emperor, 
she  was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  and  said  to  her  compan- 
ions : 

"  I  must  not  remain  here.  My  presence  is  necessary  to  the 
Emperor.  That  duty  is  indeed  more  Maria  Louisa's  than 
mine ;  but  the  Emperor  is  alone,  forsaken.  Well,  I  at  least 
will  not  abandon  him.  I  might  be  dispensed  with  while  he 
was  happy  ;  now  I  am  sure  he  expects  me.  I  may,  however, 
interfere  with  his  arrangements.  You  will  remain  here  with 


JOSEPHINE  TO  NAPOLEON.          337 

me  till  intelligence  be  received  from  the  allied  sovereigns. 
They  will  expect  her  who  was  the  wife  of  Napoleon." 
She  then  wrote  to  the  Emperor  as  follows : 

LETTER   XIH. 

JOSEPHINE    TO    NAPOLEON    AT    ELBA. 

MALMAISON,  May,  1814. 

Sire — Now  only,  can  I  calculate  the  whole  extent  of  the 
misfortune  of  having  beheld  my  union  with  you  dissolved  by 
law.  Now,  do  I  indeed  lament  being  no  more  than  your 
friend,  who  can  but  mourn  over  a  misfortune  great  as  it  is  un- 
expected. It  is  not  the  loss  of  a  throne  that  I  regret  on  your 
accQunt.  I  know,  from  myself,  how  such  a  loss  may  be  en- 
dured. But  my  heart  sinks  from  the  grief  you  must  have  ex- 
perienced on  separating  from  the  old  companions  of  your  glory. 
You  must  have  regretted,  not  only  your  officers,  but  the  sol- 
diers, whose  countenances  even,  names,  and  brilliant  deeds  in 
arms,  you  could  recall,  and  all  of  whom  you  could  not  recom- 
pense, for  they  were  too  numerous.  To  leave  heroes  like 
them,  deprived  of  their  chief,  who  so  often  shared  in  their 
toils,  must  have  struck  your  soul  with  unutterable  grief.  In 
that  sorrow  especially  do  I  participate. 

You  will  also  have  to  mourn  over  the  ingratitude  and  fall- 
ing away  of  friends,  on  whom  you  deemed  you  could  confide. 
Ah,  sire,  why  can  I  not  fly  to  you  !  why  can  not  I  give  you 
the  assurance  that  exile  has  no  terrors  save  for  vulgar  minds, 
'  and  that,  far  from  diminishing  a  sincere  attachment,  misfor- 
tune imparts  to  it  new  force  !  I  have  been  on  the  point  of 
quitting  France  to  follow  your  footsteps,  and  to  consecrate  to 
you  the  remainder  of  an  existence  which  you  so  long  embel- 
lished. A  single  motive  restrained  me,  and  that  you  may  di- 
vine. If  I  learn  that,  contrary  to  all  appearance,  /  am  the 
only  one  who  will  fulfill  her  duty,  nothing  shall  detain  me, 
and  I  will  go  to  the  only  place  where  henceforth  there  can  be 
happiness  for  me,  since  I  shall  be  able  to  console  you  when 
15 


338  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

you  are  there  isolated  and  unfortunate.  Say  but  the  word 
and  I  depart.  Adieu,  sire  ;  whatever  I  could  add  would  still 
be  too  little.  It  is  no  longer  by  words  that  my  sentiments  for 
you  are  to  be  proved,  and  for  actions  your  consent  is  neces- 
sary. JOSEPHINE. 

P.  S.  Malmaison  has  been  respected.  I  am  there  surround- 
ed by  the  foreign  sovereigns,  but  had  much  rather  not  remain. 

But  a  few  days  after  the  date  of  the  above  letter,  Josephine 
was  taken  sick,  and  on  the  29th  of  May,  1814,  died  in  the 
arms  of  her  beloved  children,  Eugene  and  Hortense.  Her 
last  prayer  was,  as  she  held  in  her  hand  the  miniature  of  Na- 
poleon, and  gazed  fondly  upon  it : 

"  Oh  God  !  watch  over  Napoleon  while  he  remains  in  the 
desert  of  this  world.  Alas  !  though  he  hath  committed  great 
faults,  hath  he  not  expiated  them  by  great  sufferings  ?  Great 
God,  Thou  hast  looked  into  his  heart,  and  hast  seen  by  how 
ardent  a  desire  for  useful  and  durable  improvement  he  was 
animated.  Deign  to  approve  this  last  petition,  and  may 
this  image  of  my  husband  bear  me  witness  that  my  latest 
prayer  was  for  him  and  for  my  children." 

At  the  moment  of  death,  she  still  held  in  her  hand  the  min- 
iature of  her  husband,  and  faintly  exclaiming,  "  Island  of  Elba ! 
Napoleon  !"  her  gentle  spirit  passed  away  into  the  repose  of 
death. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

LETTERS   DURING   THE   EMPEROR'S   CAPTIVITY   AT   ST. 
HELENA. 

DURING  the  first  year  of  the  Emperor's  captivity  at  St. 
Helena,  he  carried  on  no  correspondence  with  his  friends  iu 
Europe.  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  by  the  orders  of  his  government, 
refused  to  allow  any  sealed  letters  to  pass  to  or  from  the  Em- 
peror. Even  the  newspapers,  with  the  exception  of  an  oc- 
casional copy  of  the  Times,  were  studiously  withheld  from 
him.  Consequently  he  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  state  of 
affairs  in  the  world,  outside  of  his  prison  walls. 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  the  Emperor  received  from  the  allied 
powers,  through  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  a  copy  of  the  treaty  into 
which  they  had  entered,  in  reference  to  his  captivity. 

The  treaty  was  as  follows  : 

TREATY  OF  THE  SECOND  OF  AUGUST,  1815. 

"Napoleon  Bonaparte,  being  in  the  power  of  the  allied 
sovereigns,  their  Majesties,  the  King  of  the  United  Kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  the  Em- 
peror of  Russia,  and  the  King  of  Prussia,  have  determined,  by 
virtue  of  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  of  the  26th  of  March, 
1815,  on  the  measures  best  calculated  to  render  it  impossible 
for  him,  by  any  new  enterprise,  to  disturb  the  peace  of  Eu- 
rope. 

"Article  1.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  is  regarded  by  the  powers 


340  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

who  have  signed  the  treaty  of  the  26th  of  March  last,  as  their 
prisoner. 

"Article  2.  His  safe  keeping  is  intrusted  to  the  British 
government.  The  choice  of  the  place,  and  of  the  measures 
best  calculated  to  insure  the  object  of  these  stipulations,  is 
reserved  to  his  Britannic  Majesty. 

"  Article  3.  The  imperial  courts  of  Austria  and  Russia,  and 
the  royal  court  of  Prussia,  shall  appoint  commissioners  to 
reside  in  the  place  which  his  Britannic  Majesty  shall  determine 
on,  as  the  residence  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  who,  without 
being  responsible  for  his  safe  custody,  shall  assure  themselves 
of  his  presence. 

"  Article  4.  His  most  Christian  Majesty  is  invited,  in  the 
name  of  the  four  courts  above  named,  in  like  manner  to  send 
a  French  commissioner,  to  the  place  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte's 
detention. 

'•'•Article  5.  His- Majesty,  the  King  of  the  United  Kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  binds  himself  to  fulfill  the  en- 
gagements assigned  to  him  by  the  present  convention. 

"Article  6.  The  present  convention  shall  be  ratified,  and 
the  ratifications  exchanged  within  a  few  days,  or  sooner  if 
possible. 

"in  ratification  of  which,  the  respective  plenipotentiaries 
have  affixed  their  hands  and  seals. 

"Given  at  Paris,  the  2d  of  August,  1815. 
"(Signed) 

PRINCE  METTERNICH, 
ABERDEEN, 

"  [A  true  copy.]  PRINCE  HARDENBURG, 

COUNT  NESSELRODE. 

"HUDSON  LOWE,  governor  of  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  and 
commissioner  of  his  Britannic  Majesty." 

The  Emperor  having  read  this  treaty  very  carefully,  dic- 
tated to  Count  Montholon  the  following  protest,  addressed  to 
Sir  Hudson  Lowe : 


MONTHOLON  TO  HUDSON  LOWE.      341 

LETTER   I. 

COUNT    MONTHOIiON    TO    SIB    HUDSON    LOWE. 

LONGWOOD,  August  23,  1816. 
To  GENERAL,  SIR  HUDSON  LOWE: 

Sir — I  have  received  a  copy  of  the  treaty  of  the  2d  of 
August,  1815,  concluded  between  his  Britannic  Majesty,  the 
Emperor  of  Austria,  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  the  King 
of  Prussia,  inclosed  in  your  letter  of  July  23d. 

The  Emperor  Napoleon  protests  against  the  contents  of  this 
treaty.  He  is  not  the  prisoner  of  the  English  government. 
After  having  resigned  his  crowns  into  the  hands  of  represent- 
atives, for  the  advantage  of  the  constitution  adopted  by  the 
French  people,  and  in  favor  of  his  son,  he  retired  freely  and 
of  his  own  will,  to  England,  to  live  there  as  a  private  individ- 
ual, under  the  protection  of  British  laws.  The  violation  of 
laws  can  never  constitute  a  right  In  point  of  fact,  the  Em- 
peror is  in  the  power  of  England,  but  neither  de  facto  nor  de 
jure,  has  he  been,,  nor  is  he,  in  the  power  of  Austria,  Russia, 
or  Prussia,  even  according  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  En- 
gland, which  never  included  the  Russians,  the  Austrians,  the 
Prussians,  the  Spaniards,  or  Portuguese,  in  any  exchange  of 
prisoners,  even  while  allied  with  those  powers,  and  carrying 
on  war  conjointly  with  them.  The  treaty  of  the  2d  of  August, 
agreed  to  fifteen  days  after  the  Emperor  Napoleon's  arrival  in 
England,  can  have  no  effect  in  law  ;  it  merely  presents  the 
spectacle  of  the  four  greatest  powers  of  Europe,  entering  into 
a  coalition  for  the  oppression  of  a  single  individual — a  coali- 
tion in  direct  opposition  to  the  feelings  of  all  nations,  as  it  is 
to  the  doctrines  of  sound  morality. 

The  Emperors  of  Austria  and  of  Russia,  and  the  King  of 
Prussia,  having,  neither  in  fact,  nor  in  law,  any  authority  over 
the  person  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  could  not  legally  make 
any  arrangement  respecting  him.  If  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
had  fallen  into  the  power  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  that 


342  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Prince  would  have  remembered  the  relation  which  the  laws 
of  religion  and  nature  have  established  between  father  and 
son,  a  relation  which  can  never  be  disregarded  with  impunity. 
He  would  have  remembered  that  Napoleon  had  four  times 
restored  to  him  his  crown — at  Leoben,  in  1797,  and  at 
Luneville  in  1801,  when  his  armies  were  at  the  walls  of  Vien- 
na; at  Presburg  in  1806,  and  at  Vienna  in  1809,  when  his 
armies  were  masters  of  the  capital,  and  of  three  fourths  of 
the  empire.  That  Prince  wouU  have  remembered  the  pro- 
testations of  friendship  which  he  had  made  to  him  at  the 
bivouac  in  Moravia  in  1806,  and  at  the  interview  at  Dresden 
in  1812. 

If  the  person  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  had  fallen  into  the 
power  of  the  Emperor  Alexander,  he  would  have  remembered 
the  bonds  of  friendship  contracted  at  Tilsit,  at  Erfurt,  and 
during  twelve  years  of  daily  intercourse.  He  would  have  re- 
membered the  conduct  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  the  day 
after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  when  he  might  have  made  him 
prisoner,  with  the  wreck  of  his  army,  but  contented  himself 
with  his  parole,  and  allowed  him  to  retreat.  He  would  have 
remembered  'the  personal  danger  to  which  the  Emperor  Napo- 
leon exposed  himself  in  his  endeavors  to  extinguish  the  fire  of 
Moscow,  and  to  preserve  his  capital.  Certainly,  this  prince 
would  not  have  violated  the  duties  of  friendship  and  gratitude 
toward  a  friend  in  misfortune. 

F  the  person  of  the  Emperor  had  ever  fallen  into  the  power 
of  the  King  of  Prussia,  that  sovereign  would  not  have  forgot- 
ten that  it  had  been  in  the  power  of  the  Emperor,  after  the 
battle  of  Friedland,  to  have  placed  another  prince  on  the 
throne  of  Berlin.  He  would  not  have  forgotten,  before  a  dis- 
armed enemy,  the  protestations  of  friendship  and  the  senti- 
ments he  expressed  toward  him  at  Dresden  in  1810. 

Thus  we  see,  by  Articles  II.  and  V.  of  the  said  treaty  of 
the  2d  of  August,  that  these  princes,  not  being  able  to  influence 
in  any  degree  the  fate  of  the  Emperor,  refer  to  what  his  Bri- 
tannic Majesty,  who  takes  upon  him  to  fulfill  all  their  obliga- 


MONTHOLON    TO     HUDSON     LOWE.  343 

gations,  may  determine  on  the  subject.  These  princes  have 
reproached  the  Emperor  for  having  preferred  the  protection 
of  England  to  theirs.  The  false  ideas  which  the  Emperor  en- 
tertained respecting  the  liberality  of  the  English  laws,  and  in 
reference  to  the  influence  which  the  opinion  of  a  generous  and 
free  people  ought  to  have  upon  its  government,  determined  him 
to  prefer  the  protection  of  its  laws  to  those  of  his  father-in- 
law  or  of  his  old  friend.  The  Emperor  Napoleon  always  had 
it  in  his  power  to  secure  his  personal  freedom  by  means  of  a 
diplomatic  treaty,  either  by  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
army  of  the  Loire,  or  by  taking  the  command  of  the  army  of 
the  Gironde,  then  commanded  by  General  Clausel.  But,  as 
he  sought  merely  for  a  retreat,  and  the  protection  of  free 
laws,  whether  English  or  American,  all  stipulations  appeared 
to  him  unnecessary.  He  believed  that  the  English  people 
would  be  more  bound  by  his  frank,  noble,  and  generous  pro- 
ceeding than  it  would  have  been  by  any  treaty  whatever.  He 
has  been  deceived.  But  this  error  will  always  cause  a  true 
Briton  to  blush,  either  in  the  present  generation  or  in  those  to 
come,  and  it  will  be  a  lasting  proof  of  the  want  of  honor  dis- 
played by  the  English  government. 

Austrian  and  Russian  commissioners  have  arrived  at  St. 
Helena.  If  their  mission  is  intended  to  fulfill  a  part  of  the 
duties  which  the  Emperors  of  Austria  and  Russia  have  con- 
tracted, in  consequence  of  the  treaty  of  the  2d  of  August,  and 
to  take  care  that,  in  a  little  island  surrounded  by  the  ocean, 
the  agents  of  the  English  government  should  not  treat  with 
disrespect  a  prince  connected  with  them  by  the  bonds  of  rela 
tionship,  and  by  several  other  ties,  this  proceeding  is  worthy 
of  the  character  of  those  two  sovereigns.  But  you,  sir,  have 
taken  upon  you  to  assert  that  these  commissioners  have 
neither  the  right  nor  the  power  to  have  an  opinion  on  any 
thing  which  may  take  place  on  this  rock. 

The  English  ministry  has  caused  the  Emperor  Napoleon  to 
be  sent  to  St.  Helena,  two  thousand  leagues  from  Europe. 
This  rock,  situated  under  the  tropics,  at  five  hundred  leagues 


344  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

from  any  continent,  is  exposed  to  the  dreadful  heat  of  these 
latitudes.  It  is  covered  with  clouds  and  fogs  three  fourths  of 
the  year.  It  is  at  the  same  time  the  driest  and  the  most 
humid  climate  in  the  world.  It  is  hatred  alone,  which  has 
presided  over  the  choice  of  this  residence,  detrimental  as  it  is, 
and  must  be,  to  the  health  of  the  Emperor,  as  well  as  over  the 
instructions  dispatched  by  the  English  government  to  the  offi- 
cers commanding  at  St.  Helena.  They  were  ordered  to  ad- 
dress the  Emperor  as  "  General,"  wishing  to  oblige  him  to  ac- 
knowledge that  he  had  never  reigned  in  France  ;  and  it  was 
this  that  determined  him  not  to  assume  an  incognito,  as  he 
had  decided  upon  doing  when  he  quitted  France.  When 
chief  magistrate  of  the  Republic,  under  the  title  of  First  Con- 
sul, he  concluded  the  preliminaries  of  the  treaty  of  London, 
and  the  treaty  of  Amiens,  with  the  King  of  Great  Britain. 
He  received  as  embassadors,  Lord  Cornwallis,  Mr.  Merry,  and 
Lord  Whitworth,  who  signed  the  treaty  as  such  at  his  court. 
He  accredited,  as  embassadors  to  the  Court  of  Great  Britain, 
Count  Otto  and  General  Andreossy,  who  resided  as  such  at  the 
Court  of  Windsor.  When,  after  an  exchange  of  notes  between 
the  ministers  of  foreign  affairs  of  the  two  monarchies,  Lord 
Lauderdale  came  to  Paris  as  plenipotentiary  from  the  King  of 
England,  he  treated  with  the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  Emperor 
Napoleon,  and  remained  for  several  months  at  the  court  of  the 
Tuileries.  When  afterward,  at  Chatillon,  Lord  Castlereagh 
signed  the  ultimatum  which  the  allied  powers  laid  before  the 
Emperor  Napoleon,  he  recognized,  in  this  act,  the  fourth 
dynasty. 

This  ultimatum  was  more  advantageous  than  the  treaty  of 
Paris,  but  it  was  required  by  it  that  France  should  give  up 
Belgium,  and  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  which  was  contrary 
to  the  arrangements  of  Frankfort,  and  to  the  proclamations  of 
the  allied  powers,  and  also  to  the  oath  which  the  Emperor 
had  sworn  at  his  coronation,  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the 
Empire.  The  Emperor  thought  then  that  these  natural  limits 
were  necessary  to  the  protection  of  France,  as  well  as  to  the 


MONTHOLON  TO  HUDSON  LOWE.       345 

balance  of  power  in  Europe.  He  considered  that  the  French 
nation,  in  the  circumstances  in  which  it  was  then  placed,  ought 
rather  to  run  the  risk  of  a  war  than  to  depart  from  them.  France 
would  have  obtained  its  claims,  and  with  them  have  preserved 
its  honor,  if  treason  had  not  aided  the  allies. 

The  treaty  of  the  2d  of  August,  and  the  bill  passed  by  the 
British  Parliament,  call  the  Emperor  "  Napoleon  Bonaparte," 
and  give  him  no  title  but  that  of  "general."  The  title  of 
General  Bonapprte,  is,  no  doubt,  an  eminently  glorious  one. 
The  Emperor  was  only  General  Bonaparte  at  Lodi,  at  Castig- 
lione,  at  Rivoli,  at  Arcola,  at  Leoben,  at  the  Pyramids,  at 
Aboukir ;  but  for  seventeen  years  he  has  borne  the  names  of 
First  Consul  and  Emperor.  This  would,  in  effect,  amount  to 
acknowledging  that  he  had.  neither  been  first  magistrate  of 
the  republic,  nor  sovereign  of  the  fourth  dynasty.  Those  who 
consider  nations  flocks  of  sheep,  which,  by  divine  right,  are 
the  property  of  some  family,  belong  neither  to  the  century, 
nor  to  the  spirit  of  English  legislation,  which  has  several 
times  changed  the  order  of  its  dynasty,  because  great  changes 
which  had  occurred  in  public  opinion,  and  in  which  the  reign- 
ing princes  had  not  participated,  had  rendered  them  unfit  to 
provide  for  the  happiness  of  the  majority  of  the  nation — for 
kings  are  but  hereditary  magistrates,  who  exist  merely  for  the 
happiness  of  the  nations,  not  nations  for  the  satisfaction  of 
kings. 

It  is  this  same  spirit  of  hatred  which  has  decreed  that  the 
Emperor  Napoleon  is  not  to  be  allowed  to  write  or  receive 
any  letter  which  has  not  been  opened  and  read  by  the  English 
officers  at  St.  Helena.  By  this  means  he  has  been  prevent- 
ed from  receiving  any  account  of  his  mother,  his  wife,  his  son, 
or  his  brothers ;  and  when  he  wished  to  free  himself  from 
the  inconvenience  of  his  letters  being  read  by  subaltern  offi- 
cers, and  endeavored  for  this  purpose  to  send  a  sealed  letter  to 
the  Prince  Regent,  he  received  for  answer  that  only  unsealed 
letters  could  be  received — that  such  were  the  instructions  of 
the  ministry.  This  measure  must  give  strange  ideas  of  the 
15* 


346  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

spirit  of  the  administration  by  which  it  was  dictated  ;  it  would 
not  have  been  acknowledged  at  Algiers.  Letters  arrived  for 
general  officers  in  the  service  of  the  Emperor :  they  were 
opened  and  sent  to  you.  You  detained  them  because  they 
did  not  pass  through  the  English  ministry.  They  were 
obliged  to  perform  a  journey  of  four  thousand  leagues,  and 
these  officers  had  the  pain  of  knowing  that  there  were,  on  this 
rock,  accounts  of  their  wives,  their  mothers,  and  their  chil- 
dren, and  that  they  would  be  obliged  to  wait  six  months  be- 
fore receiving  them.  The  heart  revolts. 

We  have  not  been  allowed  to  subscribe  to  the  Morning 
Chronicle,  to  the  Morning  Post,  or  to  some  French  news- 
papers. Occasionally  some  copies  of  The  Times  have  been 
sent  to  Longwood.  In  consequence  of  the  request  made  on 
board  the  Northumberland,  some  books  have  been  sent  us ; 
but  all  those  relating  to  the  affairs  of  the  last  few  years  were 
carefully  kept  away.  At  a  later  period  we  wished  to  enter  into 
correspondence  with  a  London  bookseller,  to  obtain  directly 
such  books  as  we  might  require — this  was  prevented.  An 
English  author,  having  written  an  account  of  a  journey  jn 
France,  sent  you  a  copy  of  his  work  which  he  had  printed  in 
London,  to  present  it  to  the  Emperor.  You  did  not  do  so, 
because  it  did  not  come  through  the  medium  of  the  English 
government.  It  is  said,  also,  that  several  books,  forwarded  by 
their  authors  for  the  Emperor,  have  not  been  given  to  him,  be- 
cause the  addresses  on  some  were  to  "  the  Emperor  Napoleon," 
on  others,  to  "  Napoleon  the  Great."  The  English  ministry  has 
no  right  to  inflict  all  these  vexations.  The  law  of  the  British 
Parliament,  although  unjust,  considers  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
as  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  prisoners  of  war  have  never  been 
prevented  from  subscribing  to  newspapers,  or  from  receiving 
books.  Such  a  prohibition  is  as  yet  only  known  in  the  dun- 
geons of  the  Inquisition. 

The  island  of  St.  Helena  is  ten  leagues  in  circumference.  It 
is  .inaccessible  on  every  side.  Vessels  guard  the  coast,  and 
gentries  are  placed  along  the  shore  within  sight  of  one  another, 


MONTHOLON     TO     HUDSON    LOWE.  347 

thus  rendering  any  communication  with  the  sea  impossible. 
There  is  but  one  little  town,  Jamestown,  where  vessels  touch, 
or  get  ready  for  sea.  To  prevent  any  individual  from  escap- 
ing from  the  island,  it  would  be  sufficient  to  blockade  the 
coast  by  sea  and  land.  By  preventing  the  Emperor  from  en- 
joying the  liberty  of  the  interior  of  the  island,  only  one  object 
can  be  gained,  that  of  depriving  him  of  an  opportunity  of  en- 
joying a  ride  or  a  walk  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  the  privation  of 
which  exercise,  according  to  medical  men,  will  tend  to  shorten 
his  life. 

The  Emperor  has  been  settled  at  Longwood,  which  is  ex- 
posed to  every  wind,  is  on  a  barren  soil,  uninhabited,  without 
water,  and  susceptible  of  no  cultivation.  There  is  a  space  of 
about  two  thousand  or  three  thousand  yards  without  any  cul- 
tivation. At  a  distance  of  some  six  hundred  yards  a  camp 
has  been  established.  Another  has  been  placed  at  about  the 
same  distance  on  the  opposite  side ;  so  that,  under  all  the  heat 
of  the  tropics,  on  whichever  side  you  turn  your  eyes,  you  see 
only  camps.  Admiral  Malcolm,  perceiving  of  what  use  a 
tent  would  be  to  the  Emperor,  caused  one  to  be  erected  by 
his  sailois,  about  twenty  paces  from  the  house.  This  is  the 
only  spot  where  there  is  any  shade.  The  Emperor  feels  him- 
self here  compelled  to  remark,  that  he  has  had  reason  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  spirit  which  animates  both  officers  and  men 
of  the  53d,  as  he  also  was  with  the  crew  of  the  Northum- 
berland. 

The  house  a  Longwood,  was  built  to  serve  as  a  barn  for 
the  company's  farm.  At  a  later  period*the  deputy-governor  of 
the  island  Lad  some  rooms  built  there.  It  served  him  as  a 
country  house,  but  was  in  no  respect  suitable  for  a  dwelling. 

The  Emperor  has  been  settled  there  a  year.  During  the 
whole  time,  workmen  have  been  employed  in  and  about  the 
house,  and  he  has  constantly  been  subject  to  the  inconve- 
nience and  unhealthiness  of  living  in  a  house  in  course  of  build- 
ing or  repair.  The  room  in  which  he  sleeps  is  too  small  to 
contain  a  bed  of  an  ordinary  size.  But  any  additional  build- 


348  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

ing  would  cause  the  inconveuience  of  workmen  to  be  pro- 
longed. And  yet  in  this  miserable  island,  there  are  some 
beautiful  spots,  with  fine  trees,  gardens,  and  tolerable  houses — 
among  others,  Plantation  House.  But  the  positive  instruc- 
tions of  the  ministry  forbid  you  to  give  up  this  house,  which 
would  have  spared  you  a  considerable  expense,  employed  in 
building  at  Longwood,  cabins  covered  with  pitched  paper, 
which  are  already  out  of  repair.  You  have  prohibited  all 
correspondence  between  us  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  island. 
You  have,  in  fact,  isolated  the  house  of  Longwood.  You 
have  even  perverted  our  intercourse  with  the  officers  of  the 
garrison.  You  seem,  then,  to  have  taken  pains  to  deprive 
us  of  all  the  resources  which  even  this  miserable  country 
offers,  and  we  are  just  as  we  should  be  on  the  uncultivated 
and  unhabited  rock  of  Ascension.  In  the  four  months  dur- 
ing which  you  have  been  here,  sir,  you  have  rendered  the 
Emperor's  situation  much  worse.  Court  Bertrand  has  already 
had  occasion  to  remark  to  you,  that  you  were  violating  even 
the  laws  of  your  legislature — that  you  were  trampling  under 
foot  the  right  of  general  officers  when  prisoners  of  war.  You 
replied  that  you  Only  recognized  the  letter  of  your  instruc- 
tions, and  that  they  were  worse  still  than  your  conduct  ap- 
peared to  us.  GENERAL  COUNT  MONTHOLON. 

P.  S.  I  had  already  signed  this  letter,  sir,  when  I  received 
yours  of  the  17th,  in  which  you  inclose  an  estimate  concern- 
ing an  annual  sum  of  £20,000  [$100,000],  which  you  consider 
necessary  for  the  expenses  of  the  establishment  at  Longwood, 
after  all  the  reductions  which  you  have  thought  it  necessary 
to  make.  The  discussion  of  this  estimate  can  not  concern  us 
in  any  respect.  The  table  of  the  Emperor  is  scarcely  fur- 
nished with  what  is  strictly  necessary ;  all  the  provisions  are 
of  bad  quality,  and  four  times  as  dear  as  at  Paris.  You  re- 
quire from  the  Emperor  a  sum  of  £12,000  [$60,000],  for  all 
these  expenses.  I  have  already  had  the  honor  of  informing 
you,  that  the  Emperor  has  no  funds  at  his  disposal ;  that,  dur- 
ing the  last  year,  he  has  neither  written  nor  received  any  let- 


NAPOLEON'S   RELIGIOUS   VIEWS.          349 

ters,  and  that  he  is  completely  ignorant  of  every  thing  which 
has  taken  place,  or  which  might  have  taken  place,  in  Europe. 
Violently  carried  off'  to  this  rock,  at  a  distance  of  two  thou- 
sand lengues  from  Europe,  without  being  able  to  receive  or 
write  any  letters,  he  is  entirely  at  the  discretion  of  English 
agents.  The  Emperor  has  always  desired,  and  still  desires, 
to  bear  all  his  own  expenses  of-  every  kind,  and  he  will  do  so 
as  soon  as  you  make  it  possible,  by  removing  the  prohibition 
to  the  merchants  of  the  island  with  reference  to  conveying 
his  correspondence,  and  as  soon  as  he  is  certain  of  its  being 
submitted  to  no  examination  from  you  or  any  of  your  agents. 
As  soon  as  the  necessities  of  the  Emperor  become  known  in 
Europe,  those  who  take  an  interest  in  him  will  send  him  the 
necessary  funds. 

The  letter  of  Lord  Bathurst,  which  you  have  communicated 
to  me  gives  rise  to  strange  ideas.  Were  your  ministers  igno- 
rant that  the  sight  of  a  great  man  struggling  with  adversity  is 
a  most  sublime  .sight  ?  Were  they  ignorant  that  Napoleon, 
at  St.  Helena,  in  the  midst  of  persecutions  of  all  kinds,  which 
he  meets  with  never-changing  serenity,  is  greater,  more  sacred, 
more  venerable  than  upon  the  first  throne  in  the  world,  where 
he  was  so  long  the  arbiter  of  kings?  Those  who  fail  in 
respect  to  Napoleon  in  such  a  situation,  merely  debase  their 
own  character  and  the  nation  which  they  represent. 

GENERAL  COUNT  MONTHOLON. 


During  the  Emperor's  long  confinement  and  suffering  sick- 
ness at  St.  Helena,  he  conversed  with  the  utmost  freedom 
upon  all  topics.  The  following  record  of  some  of  his  remarks 
upon  spiritual  subjects  will  be  read  with  interest.  They  bear 
the  impress  of  his  profound  genius  and  of  his  deep  emotional 
nature  : 

"In  the  year  1819,  the  British  government  consented  that 
the  friends  of  Napoleon  should  send  to  him  from  Europe  a 
physician.  On  the  19th  of  September  of  that  year,  Doctor 


350  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

Antomrnarchi,  who  had  been  selected,  arrived  at  St.  Helena. 
Two  ecclesiastics  accompanied  Dr.  Antommarchi,  as  Napoleon 
had  expressed  reiterated  and  very  earnest  desires  that  the  or- 
dinances of  religion  might  be  regularly  administered  to  his 
household  at  St.  Helena.  One  of  these,  the  Abbe  Buonavita, 
was  an  aged  prelate,  who  had  been  chaplain  to  Napoleon's 
mother  at  Elba,  and  also  to  the  Princess  Pauline  at  Rome. 
The  other  was  a  young  man,  the  Abbe  Vignali,  who  was  also 
a  physician. 

"September  22,  1819.  Dr.  Antommarchi  had  his  first  in- 
terview with  Napoleon.  He  found  him  in  bed,  in  a  small, 
dark  room,  very  meanly  furnished.  It  was  a  quarter  past  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  room  was  so  dark  that  when 
the  Doctor  first  entered  he  could  not  see'Napoleon.  The  Em- 
peror, perceiving  this,  in  gentle  tones  requested  him  to  ap- 
proach. He  questioned  him  very  minutely  respecting  his  par- 
entage, his  past  history,  his  motives  for  consenting  to  come  to 
such  a  miserable  rock,  and  his  medical  education.  Satisfied 
with  his  replies,  the  Emperor  entered  into  a  frank  and  touch- 
ing conversation  respecting  his  friends  in  Europe. 

"  He  then  saw  the  two  Abbes.  At  the  close  of  a  confiding 
and  an  affecting  interview,  the  Emperor  said,  in  the  tones  of  a 
man  upon  the  verge  of  the  grave  : 

"  '  We  have  been  too  long  deprived  of  the  ordinances  of 
religion  not  to  be  eager  to  enjoy  them  immediately,  now  that 
they  are  within  our  power.  Hereafter  we  will  have  the  com- 
munion service  every  Sabbath,  and  we  will  observe  the  sacred 
days  recognized  by  the  Concordat.  I  wish  to  establish  at  St. 
Helena  the  religious  ceremonies  which  are  celebrated  in 
France.  On  these  occasions  we  will  erect  a  movable  altar  in 
the  dining-room.  You,  Monsieur  Abbe,  are  aged  and  infirm. 
I  will  select  the  hour  which  will  be  most  convenient  for  you. 
You  may  officiate  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing.' 

"  In  the  evening,  the  Emperor  was  alone  with  Count  Mon- 
tholon.  The  Count  was  not  a  religious  man.  He  has  frankly 


NAPOLEON'S   RELIGIOUS   VIEWS.          351 

said,  'In  the  midst  of  camps,  I  forgot  religion.'  Napoleon, 
with  great  joy,  informed  Montholon  of  his  intention  to  attend 
mass  the  next  day.  He  then  uttered  the  following  remarkable 
confession : 

" '  Upon  the  throne,  surrounded  by  generals  far  from  de- 
vout, yes,  I  will  not  deny  it,  I  had  too  much  regard  for  public 
opinion,  and  far  too  much  timidity,  and  perhaps  I  did  not  dare 
to  say  aloud,  "  /  am  a  believer"  I  said,  "  Religion  is  a  power 
— a  political  engine"  But,  even  then,  if  any  one  had  ques- 
tioned me  directly,  I  should  have  replied,  "  Yes  f  I  am  a 
Christian"  And  if  it  had  been  necessary  to  confess  my  faith 
at  the  price  of  martyrdom,  I  should  have  found  all  my  firm- 
ness. Yes!  I  should  have  endured  it  rather  than  deny  my 
religion.  But  now  that  I  am  at  St.  Helena,  why  should  I  dis- 
semble that  which  I  believe  at  the  bottom  of  my  heart? 
Here  I  live  for  myself.  I  wish  for  a  priest,  I  desire  the 
communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  to  confess  what  I 
believe.  I  will  go  to  the  mass.  I  will  not  force  any  one  to 
accompany  me  there.  But  those  who  love  me  will  follow 
me.' 

"  General  Bertrand  was  an  avowed  unbeliever,  and  often  dis- 
pleased Napoleon  by  speaking  disrespectfully  of  sacred  things. 
The  Emperor  was  one  day,  about  this  time,  conversing  with 
him  upon  the  subject  of  atheism'. 

"  'Your  spirit,'  said  he,  'is  it  the  same  as  the  spirit  of  the 
herdsman,  whom  you  see  in  the  valley  below,  feeding  his 
flocks  ?  Is  there  not  as  great  a  distance  between  you  an  1  him 
as  between  a  horse  and  a  man  ?  But  how  do  you  know  this  ? 
You  have  never  seen  his  spirit.  No  !  the  spirit  of  a  beast  has 
the  endowment  of  being  invisible.  It  has  that  privilege 
equally  with  the  spirit  of  the  most  exalted  geniu-% 

"  '  But  you  have  talked  with  the  herdsman  ;  you  have  ex- 
amined his  countenance ;  you  have  questioned  him,  and  his 
responses  have  told  you  what  he  is.  You  judge,  then,  the 
same  from  the  effects,  and  you  judge  correctly.  Certainly 
your  reason,  your  intelligence,  your  faculties  are  vastly  above 


352  COHFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

those  of  the  herdsman.  Very  well ;  I  judge  in  the  same 
war.  Divine  effects  cofripel  me  to  believe  in  a  Divine  Cause. 
Yes  !  there  is  a  Divine  Cause,  a  Sovereign  Reason,  an  Infinite 
Being.  That  Cause  is  the  cause  of  causes.  That  Reason  is 
the  reason  creative  of  intelligence.  There  exists  an  Infinite 
Being,  compared  with  whom,  you,  General  Bertrand,  are  but 
an  atom  ;  compared  with  whom,  I,  Napoleon,  with  all  my 
genius,  am  purely  nothing — a  pure  nothing:  do,  you  under- 
stand ?  I  perceive  Him,  God  ;  I  see  .Him  ;  have  need  of  Him  ; 
I  believe  in  Him.  If  you  do  not  perceive  Him  ;  if  you  do  not 
believe  in  Him  ;  very  well,  so  much  the  worse  for  you.  But 
you  will,  General  Bertrand,  yet  believe  in  God.  I  can  pardon 
many  things  ;  but  I  have  a  horror  of  an  atheist  and  a  materi- 
alist. Think  you  that  I  can  have  any  sympathies  in  common 
with  the  man  who  does  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  the 
soul  ?  who  believes  that  he  is  but  a  lump  of  clay,  and  who 
wishes  that  I  may  also  be  like  him,  a  lump  of  clay  ?' 

"  General  Montholon,  after  his  return  to  Europe,  said  to  M. 
de  Beauterne  : 

" '  Yes ;  the  Emperor  was  a  Christian.  With  him  faith  was 
a  natural,  a  fundamental  principle.  The  religious  sentiment 
was  immediately  roused  when  in  the  slightest  degree  sum- 
moned by  an  exterior  sensation  or  an  incidental  thought. 
When  any  thing  cruel  or  irreligious  presented  itself,  it  seemed 
to  do  violence  to  his  deepest  feelings ;  he  could  not  restrain 
himself.  He  protested,  opposed,  and  was  indignant.  Such 
was  his  natural  character.  I  have  seen  it,  yes,  I  have  seen  it ; 
and  I,  a  man  of  camps,  who  had  forgotten  my  religion — I 
confess  it — who  did  not  practice  it,  I  at  first  was  astonished ; 
but  then  I  received  thoughts  and  impressions  which  still  con- 
tinue with  me  the  subjects  of  profound  reflection.  I  have 
seen  the  Emperor  religious,  and  I  have  said  to  myself,  "  He 
died  a  Christian,  in  the  fear  of  God."  I  can  not  forget  that 
old  age  is  upon  me,  that  I  must  soon  die ;  and  I  wish  to  die 
like  the  Emperor.  I  do  not  doubt  even  that  General  Bertrand 
often  recalls,  as  I  do,  the  religious  conversations  and  the  death 


NAPOLEON'S  RELIGIOUS  VIEWS.          353 

of  the  Emperor.  The  General,  perhaps,  may  finish  his  career 
like  his  master  and  his  friend."  '  * 

The  conversation  at  St.  Helena  very  frequently  turned  upon 
the  subject  of  religion.  One  day  Napoleon  was  speaking  of 
the  Divinity  of  Christ,  when  General  Bertrand  said : 

"  I  can  not  conceive,  sire,  how  a  great  man  like  you  can 
believe  that  the  Supreme  Being  ever  exhibited  himself  to  men 
under  a  human  form,  with  a  body,  a  face,  mouth,  and  eyes. 

"Let  Jesus  be  whatever  you  please — the  highest  intelli- 
gence, the  purest  heart,  the  most  profound  legislator,  and,  in  all 
respects,  the  most  singular  being  who  has  ever  existed.  I 
grant  it.  Still  he  was  simply  a  man,  who  taught  his  disciples, 
and  deluded  credulous  people,  as  did  Orpheus,  Confucius, 
Brahma.  Jesus  caused  himself  to  be  adored,  because  his  pre- 
decessors, Isis  and  Osiris,  Jupiter,  and  Juno,  had  proudly  made 
themselves  objects  of  worship.  The  ascendancy  of  Jesus  over 
his  time,  was  like  the  ascendancy  of  the  gods  and  the  heroes 
of  fable.  If  Jesus  has  impassioned  and  attached  to  his  chariot 
the  multitude — if  he  has  revolutionized  the  world — I  see  in 
that  only  the  po\ver  of  genius,  and  the  action  of  a  command- 
ing spirit,  which  vanquishes  the  world,  as  so  many  conquerors 
have  done — Alexander,  Csesar,  you,  sire,  and  Mohammed,  with 
a  sword." 

Napoleon  replied : 

"  I  know  men,  and  I 'tell  you  that  Jesus  Christ  is  not  a  man. 
Superficial  minds  see  a  resemblance  between  Christ  and  the 
founders  of  empires  and  the  gods  of  other  religion^  That 
resemblance  does  not  exist.  There  is  between  Christianity 
and  whatever  other  religion  the  distance  of  infinity. 

"  We  can  say  to  the  authors  of  every  other  religion,  '  You 
are  neither  gods  nor  the  agents  of  the  Deity.  You  are  but 
missionaries  of  falsehood,  molded  from  the  same  clay  with 
the  rest  of  mortals.  You  are  made  with  all  the  passions  and 

* J  Sentiment  de  Napoleon  sur  le  Christianisme :  Conversations  reli- 
gieuses  a  Sainte  Helene  par  M.  le  General  Comte  de  Montholon,  par  M. 
le  Chevalier  de  Beauterno,  p.  21. 


354  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

vices  inseparable  from  them.  Your  temples  and  your  priests 
proclaim  your  origin.'  Such  will  be  the  judgment,  the  cry  of 
conscience,  of  whoever  examines  the  gods  and  the  temples  of 
paganism. 

"  Paganism  was  never  accepted,  as  truth,  by  the  wise  men 
of  Greece  ;  neither  by  Socrates,  Pythagoras,  Plato,  Anaxa- 
goras,  or  Pericles.  On  the  other  side,  the  loftiest  intellects, 
since  the  advent  of  Christianity,  have  had  faith,  a  living  faith, 
a  practical  faith,  in  the  mysteries  and  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel ;  not  only  Bossuet  and  Fenelon,  who  were  preachers, 
but  Descartes  and  Newton,  Leibnitz  and  Pascal,  Corneille  and 
Racine,  Charlemagne  and  Louis  XIV. 

"  Paganism  is  the  work  of  man.  One  can  here  read  but 
our  imbecility.  What  do  these  gods,  so  boastful,  know  more 
than  other  mortals  ?  these  legislators,  Greek  or  Roman,  this 
Numa,  this  Lycurgus,  these  priests  of  India  or  of  Memphis, 
this  Confucius,  this  Mohammed  ?  Absolutely  nothing.  They 
have  made  a  perfect  chaos  of  morals.  There  is  not  one 
among  all  them  who  has  said  any  thing  new  in  reference  to  our 
future  destiny,  to  the  soul,  to  the  essence  of  God,  to  the  crea- 
tion. Enter  the  sanctuaries  of  paganism.  You  there  find 
perfect  chaos,  a  thousand  contradictions,  war  between  the 
gods,  the  immobility  of  sculpture,  the  division  and  the  rend- 
ing of  unity,  the  parceling  out  of  the  Divine  attributes  muti- 
lated or  denied  in  their  essence,  the  sophisms  of  ignorance 
and  presumption,  polluted  fetes,  impurity  and  abomination 
adored^all  sorts  of  corruption  festering  in  the  thick  shades, 
with  the  rotten  wood,  the  idol,  and  his  priest.  Does  this 
honor  God,  or  does  it  dishonor  him  ?  Are  these  religions  and 
these  gods  to  be  compared  with  Christianity  ? 

"  As  for  me,  I  say  no.  I  summon  entire  Olympus  to  my 
tribunal.  I  judge  the  gods,  but  am  far  from  prostrating  my- 
self before  their  vain  images.  The  gods,  the  legislators  of 
India  and  of  China,  of  Rome  and  of  Athens,  have  nothing 
which  can  overawe  me.  Not  that  I  am  unjust  to  them  !  No ; 
I  appreciate  them,  because  I  know  their  value.  Undeniably 


NAPOLEON'S   RELIGIOUS   VIEWS.          355 

princes,  whose  existence  is  fixed  in  the  memory  as  an  image 
of  order  and  of  power,  as  the  ideal  of  force  and  beauty,  such 
princes  were  no  ordinary  men. 

"  I  see  in  Lycurgus,  Numa,  and  Mohammed  only  legisla- 
tors, who,  having  the  first  rank  in  the  State,  have  sought  the 
best  solution  of  the  social  problem ;  but  I  see  nothing  there 
which  reveals  Divinity.  They  themselves  have  never  raised 
their  pretensions  so  high.  As  for  me,  I  recognize  the  gods 
and  these  great  men  as  beings  like  myself.  They  have  per- 
formed a  lofty  part  in  their  times,  as  I  have  done.  Nothing 
announces  them  Divine.  On  the  contrary,  there  are  numerous 
resemblances  between  them  and  myself;  foibles  and  errors 
which  ally  them  to  me  and  to  humanity. 

"  It  is  not  so  with  Christ.  Every  thing  in  him  astonishes 
me.  His  spirit  overawes  me,  and  his  will  confounds  me.  Be- 
tween him  and  whoever  else  in  the  world,  there  is  no  possible 
term  of  comparison.  He  is  truly  a  being  by  himself.  His 
ideas  and  his  sentiments,  the  truths  which  he  announces,  his 
manner  of  convincing,  are  not  explained  either  by  human  or- 
ganization or  by  the  nature  of  things. 

"  His  birth,  and  the  history  of  his  life ;  the  profundity  of 
his  doctrine,  which  grapples  the  mightiest  difficulties,  and 
which  is  of  those  difficulties  the  most  admirable  solution  ;  his 
gospel,  his  apparition,  his  empire,  his  march  across  the  ages 
and  the  realms — every  thing  is,  for  me,  a  prodigy,  a  mystery 
insoluble,  which  plunges  me  into  a  reverie  from  which  I  can 
not  escape — a  mystery  which  is  there  before  my  eyes — a  mys- 
tery which  I  can  neither  deny  nor  explain.  Here  I  see  noth- 
ing human. 

"  The  nearer  I  approach,  the  more  carefully  I  examine,  every 
thing  is  above  me,  every  thing  remains  grand,  of  a  grandeur 
which  overpowers.  His  religion  is  a  revelation  from  an  intelli- 
gence which  certainly  is  not  that  of  man.  There  is  there  a  pro- 
found originality,  which  has  created  a  series  of  words  and  of 
maxims  before  unknown.  Jesus  borrowed  nothing  from  our 
sciences.  One  can  absolutely  find  nowhere,  but  in  him  alone, 


856  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

the  imitation  or  the  example  of  his  life.  He  is  not  a  philoso- 
pher, since  he  advances  by  miracles,  and  from  the  commence- 
ment his  disciples  worshiped  him.  He  persuades  them  far 
more  by  an  appeal  to  the  heart,  than  by  any  display  of  method 
and  of  logic.  Neither  did  he  imppse  upon  them  any  pre- 
liminary studies,  or  any  knowledge  of  letters.  All  his  religion 
consists  in  believing. 

"  In  fact,  the  sciences  and  philosophy  avail  nothing  for  salva- 
tion ;  and  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  reveal  the  mysteries 
of  heaven  and  the  laws  of  the  spirit.  Also,  he  has  nothing 
to  do  but  with  the  soul,  and  to  that  alone  he  brings  his  gos- 
pel. The  soul  is  sufficient  for  him,  as  he  is  sufficient  for  the 
soul.  Before  him  the  soul  was  nothing.  Matter  and  time 
were  the  master  of  the  world.  At  his  voice  every  thing  re- 
turns to'  order.  Science  and  philosophy  become  secondary. 
The  soul  has  reconquered  its  sovereignty.  All  the  scholastic 
scaffolding  falls,  as  an  edifice  ruined,  before  one  single  word — 
Faith. 

"  What  a  master,  and  what  a  word,  which  can  effect  such  a 
revolution  !  With  what  authority  does  he  teach  men  to  pray ! 
He  imposes  his  belief.  And  no  one,  thus  far,  has  been  able  to 
contradict  him ;  first,  because  the  Gospel  contains  the  purest 
morality,  and  also  because  the  doctrine  which  it  contains  of 
obscurity,  is  only  the  proclamation  and  the  truth  of  that  which 
exists  where  no  eye  can  see,  and  no  reason  can  penetrate. 
Who  is  the  insensate  who  will  say  No  to  the  intrepid  voyager 
who  recounts  the  marvels  of  the  icy  peaks  which  he  alone  has 
had  the  boldness  to  visit  ?  Christ  is  that  bold  voyager.  One 
can  doubtless  remain  incredulous.  But  no  one  can  venture  to 
say,  It  is  not  so. 

"  Moreover,  consult  the  philosophers  upon  those  mysterious 
questions  which  relate  to  the  essence  of  man  and  the  essence 
of  religion.  What  is  their  response  ?  Where  is  the  man  of 
good  sense  who  has  ever  learned  any  thing  from  the  system  of 
metaphysics,  ancient  or  modern,  which  is  not  truly  a  vain  and 
pompous  ideology,  without  any  connection  with  our  domestic 


NAPOLEON'S  RELIGIOUS   VIEWS.          357 

life,  with  our  passions  ?  Unquestionably,  with  skill  in  think- 
ing, one  can- seize  the  key  of  the  philosophy  of  Socrates  and 
Plato.  But  to  do  this,  it  is  necessary  to  be  a  metaphysician ; 
and  moreover,  with  years  of  study,  one  must  possess  special 
aptitude.  But  good  sense  alone,  the  heart,  an  honest  spirit, 
are  sufficient  to  comprehend  Christianity. 

"  The  Christian  religion  is  neither  ideology  nor  metaphysics, 
but  a  practical  rule,  which  directs  the  actions  of  man,  corrects 
him,  counsels  him,  and  assists  him  in  all  his  conduct.  The 
Bible  contains  a  complete  series  of  facts  and  of  historical  men, 
to  explain  time  and  eternity,  such  as  no  other  religion  has  to 
offer.  If  this  is  not  the  true  religion,  one  is  very  excusable  in 
being  deceived ;  for  every  thing  in  it  is  grand  and  worthy  of 
God.  I  search  i.n  vain  in  history  to  find  the  similar  to  Jesus 
Christ,  or  any  thing  which  can  approach  the  Gospel.  Neither 
history,  nor  humanity,  nor  the  ages,  nor  nature,  offer  me  any 
thing  with  which  I  am  able  to  compare  it  or  to  explain  it. 
Here  every  thing  is  extraordinary.  The  more  I  consider  the 
Gospel,  the  more  I  am  assured  that  there  is  nothing  there 
which  is  not  beyond  the  march  of  events,  and  above  the  hu- 
man mind.  Even  the  impious  themselves,  have  never  dared 
to  deny  the  sublimity  of  the  Gospel,  which  inspires  them  with 
a  sort  of  compulsory  veneration.  What  happiness  that  book 
procures  for  those  who  believe  it !  What  marvels  those  ad- 
mire there  who  reflect  upon  it ! 

"  All  the  v^brds  there  are  imbedded  and  joined  one  upon  an- 
other, like  trie  stones  of  an  edifice.  The  spirit  which  binds 
these  words  together  is  a  Divine  cement,  which  now  reveals 
the  sense,  and  again  vails  it  from  the  mind.  Each  phrase  has 
a  sense  complete,  which  traces  the  perfection  of  unity  and  the 
profundity  of  the  whole.  Book  unique,  where  the  minds  finds 
a  moral  beauty  before  unknown,  and  an  idea  of  the  Supreme, 
superior  even  to  that  which  creation  suggests.  Who,  but  God 
could  produce  that  type,  that  idea  of  perfection,  equally  ex- 
clusive and  original  ? 

"  Christ,  having  but  a  few  weak  disciples,  was  condemned  to 


358  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

death.  He  died,  the  object  of  the  wrath  of  the  Jewish  priests, 
and  of  the  contempt  of  the  nation,  and  abandoned  and  denied 
by  His  own  disciples. 

" '  They  are  about  to  take  me,  and  to  crucify  me,'  said  He. 
'  I  shall  be  abandoned  of  all  the  world.  My  chief  disciple  will 
deuy  me  at  the  commencement  of  my  punishment.  I  shall 
be  left  to  the  wicked.  But  then,  Divine  justice  being  satis- 
fied, original  sin  being  expiated  by  my  sufferings,  the  bond  of 
man  to  God  will  be  renewed,  and  my  death  will  be  the  life  of 
my  disciples.  Then  they  will  be  more  strong  without  me 
than  with  me ;  for  they  will  see  me  rise  again.  I  shall  ascend 
to  the  skies ;  and  I  shall  send  to  them,  from  heaven,  a  Spirit 
who  will  instruct  them.  The  spirit  of  the  cross  will  enable 
them  to  understand  my  Gospel.  In  fine,  they  will  believe  it ; 
they  will  preach  it ;  and  they  will  convert  the  world.' 

"  And  this  strange  promise,  so  aptly  called  by  Paul,  the 
'foolishness  of  the  cross,'  this  prediction  of  one  miserably  cruci- 
fied, is  literally  accomplished.  And  the  mode  of  the  accom- 
plishment is  perhaps  more  prodigious  than  the  promise. 

"  It  is  not  a  day,  nor  a  battle  which  has  decided  it.  Is  it 
the  life-time  of  a  man  ?  No  !  It  is  a  war,  a  long  combat  of 
three  hundred  years,  commenced  by  the  apostles  and  contin- 
ued by  their  successors  and  by  succeeding  generations  of 
Christians.  In  this  conflict  all  the  kings  and  all  the  forces  of 
the  earth  were  arrayed  on  one  side.  Upon  the  other  I  see  no 
army,  but  a  mysterious  energy ;  individuals  scattered  here 
and  there,  in  all  parts  of  the  globe,  having  no  other  rallying 
sign  than  a  common  faith  in  the  mysteries  of  the  cross. 

"  What  a  mysterious  symbol !  the  instrument  of  the  punish- 
ment of  the  Man-God.  His  disciples  were  armed  with  it. 
'  The  Christ,'  they  said,  '  God,  has  died  for  the  salvation  of 
men.'  What  a  strife,  what  a  tempest  these  simple  words 
have  raised  around  the  humble  standard  of  the  punishment 
of  the  Man-God.  On  the  one  side  we  see  rage  and  all  the  fu- 
ries of  hatred  and  violence.  On  the  other,  there  is  gentleness, 
moral  courage,  infinite  resignation.  For  three  hundred  years 


NAPOLEON'S   RELIGIOUS   VIEWS.  359 

spirit  struggled  against  the  brutality  of  sense,  conscience 
against  despotism,  the  soul  against  the  body,  virtue  against 
all  the  vices.  The  blood  of  Christians  flowed  in  torrents. 
They  died  kissing  the  hand  which  slew  them.  The  soul 
alone  protested,  while  the  body  surrendered  itself  to  all  tor- 
tures. Everywhere  Christians  fell,  and  everywhere  they  tri- 
umphed. 

"  You  speak  of  Caesar,  of  Alexander ;  of  their  conquests,  and 
of  the  enthusiasm  which  they  enkindled  in  the  hearts  of  their 
soldiers.  But  can  you  conceive  of  a  dead  man  making  con- 
quests, with  an  army  faithful  and  entirely  devoted  to  his  mem- 
ory. My  armies  have  forgotten  me,  even  while  living,  as 
the  Carthaginian  army  forgot  Hannibal.  Such  is  our  power  ! 
A  single  battle  lost  crushes  us,  and  adversity  scatters  our 
friends. 

"  Can  you  conceive  of  Caesar  as  the  eternal  Emperor  of  the 
Roman  senate,  and  from  the  depths  of  his  mausoleum  govern- 
ing the  empire,  watching  over  the  destinies  of  Rome  ?  Such 
is  the  history  of  the  invasion  and  conquest  of  the  world  by 
Christianity.  Such  is  the  power  of  the  God  of  the  Christians ; 
and  such  is  the  perpetual  miracle  of  the  progress  of  the  faith 
and  of  the  government  of  His  church.  Nations  pass  away, 
thrones  crumble,  but  the  church  remains.  What  is  then  the 
power  which  has  protected  this  church,  thus  assailed  by  the 
furious  billows  of  rage,  and  the  hostility  of  ages  ?  Whose  is 
the  arm  which,  for  eighteen  hundred  years,  has  protected  the 
church  from  so  many  storms  which  have  threatened  to  en- 
gulf it  ? 

"  Alexander,  Caesar,  Charlemagne,  and  myself,  founded  em- 
pires. But  upon  what  did  we  rest  the  creations  of  our  genius  ? 
Upon  force.  Jesus  Christ  alone  founded  His  empire  upon  love  ; 
and  at  this  hour  millions  of  men  would  die  for  Him. 

"  In  every  other  existence  but  that  of  Christ,  how  many  im- 
perfections ?  Where  is  the  character  which  has  not  yielded, 
vanquished  by  obstacles  ?  Where  is  the  individual  who  has 
never  been  governed  by  circumstances  or  places,  who  has 


360  .CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

never  succumbed  to  the  influence  of  the  times,  who  has  never 
compounded  with  any  customs  or  passions  ?  From  the  first 
day  to  the  last  He  is  the  same,  always  the  same ;  majestic  and 
simple,  infinitely  firm  and  infinitely  gentle. 

"  Truth  should  embrace  the  universe.  Such,  is  Christianity, 
the  only  religion  which  destroys  sectional  prejudice,  the  only 
one  which  proclaims  the  unity  and  the  absolute  brotherhood 
of  the  whole  human  family,  the  only  one  which  is  purely  spir- 
itual ;  in  fine,  the  only  one  which  assigns  to  all,  without  dis- 
tinction, for  a  true  country,  the  bosom  of  the  Creator,  God. 
Christ  proved  that  He  was  the  Son  of  the  Eternal,  by  His  dis- 
regard of  Time.  All  His  doctrines  signify  one  only,  and  the 
same  thing,  Eternity. 

"  It  is  true  that  Christ  proposes  to  our  faitli  a  series  of  mys- 
teries. He  commands,  with  authority,  that  we  should  believe 
them,  giving  no  other  reason  than  those  tremendous  words, 
'  /  am  God.1  He  declares  it.  What  an  abyss  He  creates, 
by  that  declaration,  between  Himself  and  all  the  fabricators 
of  religion.  What  audacity,  what  sacrilege,  what  blasphemy, 
if  it  were  not  true  !  I  say  more ;  the  universal  triumph  of  an 
affirmation  of  that  kind,  if  the  triumph  were  not  really  that 
of  God  Himself,  would  be  a  plausible  excuse,  and  the  proof 
of  atheism. 

"  Moreover,  in  propounding  mysteries,  Christ  is  harmonious 
with  nature,  which,  is  profoundly  mysterious.  From  whence 
do  I  come  ?  whither  do  I  go  ?  who  am  I  ?  Human  life  is  a 
mystery  in  its  origin,  its  organization,  and  its  end.  In  man 
and  out  of  man,  in  nature,  eveiy  thing  is  mysterious.  And 
can  one  wish  that  religion  should  not  be  mysterious  ?  The 
creation  and  the  destiny  of  the  world  are  an  unfathomable 
abyss,  as  also  is  the  creation  and  destiny  of  each  individual. 
Christianity  at  least  does  not  evade  these  great  questions.  It 
meets  them  boldly.  And  our  doctrines  are  a  solution  of  them 
for  every  one  who  believes. 

"  The  Gospel  possesses  a  secret  virtue,  a  mysterious  efficacy, 
a  warmth  which  penetrates  and  soothes  the  heart.  One  finds, 


NAPOLEON'S  RELIGIOUS  VIEWS.          361 

in  meditating  upon  it,  that  which  one  experiences  in  contem- 
plating the  heavens.  The  Gospel  is  not  a  book  ;  it  is  a  living 
being,  with  an  action,  a  power,  which  invades  every  thing 
which  opposes  its  extension.  Behold  it  upon  this  table,  this 
book  surpassing  all  others  (here  the  Emperor  deferentially 
placed  his  hand  upon  it) ;  I  never  omit  to  read  it,  and  every 
day  with  the  same  pleasure. 

"  Nowhere  is  to  be  found  such  a  series  of  beautiful  ideas, 
admirable  moral  maxims,  which  pass  before  us  like  the  bat- 
talions of  a  celestial  army,  and  wfiich  produce  in  our  soul  the 
same  emotions  which  one  experiences  in  contemplating  the 
infinite  expanse  of  the  skies,  resplendent  in  a  summer's  night, 
with  all  the  brilliance  of  the  stars.  Not  only  is  our  mind  ab- 
sorbed, it  is  controlled,  and  the  soul  can  never  go  astray  with 
this  book  for  its  guide.  Once  master  of  our  spirit,  the  faithful 
Gospel  loves  us.  God  even  is  our  friend,  our  father,  and  truly 
our  God.  The  mother  has  no  greater  care  for  the  infant 
whom  she  nurses. 

"  What  a  proof  of  the  divinity  of  Christ !  With  an  empire 
so  absolute,  He  has  but  one  single  end,  the  spiritual  meliora- 
tion of  individuals,  the  purity  of  conscience,  the  union  to  that 
which  is  true,  the  holiness  of  the  soul. 

"Christ  speaks,  and  at  once  generations  become  His  by 
stricter,  closer  ties  than  those  of  blood  ;  by  the  most  sacred, 
the  most  indissoluble  of  all  unions.  He  lights  up  the  flames 
of  a  love  which  consumes  self-love,  which  prevails  over  every 
other  love.  The  founders  of  other  religions  never  conceived 
of  this  mystical  love,  which  is  the  essence  of  Christianity,  and 
is  beautifully  called  charity.  In  every  attempt  to  effect  this 
thing,  namely,  to  make  himself  beloved,  man  deeply  feels  his 
own  impotence.  So  that  Christ's  greatest  miracle  undoubtedly 
is,  the  reign  of  charity. 

"  I  have  so  inspired  multitudes  that  they  would  die  for  me. 
God  forbid  that  I  should  form  any  comparison  between  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  soldier  and  Christian  charity,  which  are  as 
unlike  as  their  cause. 

16 


362  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTEKS. 

"  But,  after  all,  my  presence  was  necessary  :  the  lightning  of 
my  eye,  my  voice,  a  word  from  me  ;  then  the  sacred  fire  was 
kindled  in  their  hearts.  I  do  indeed  possess  the  secret  of  this 
magical  power,  which  lifts  the  soul,  hut  I  could  never  impart 
it  to  any  one.  None  of  my  generals  ever  learned  it  from  me. 
Nor  have  I  the  means  of  perpetuating  my  name  and  love  for 
me,  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  to  effect  these  things  without 
physical  means. 

"  Now  that  I  am  at  St.  Helena ;  now  that  I  am  alone,  chained 
upon  this  rock,  who  fights  and  wins  empires  for  me  ?  who  are 
the  courtiers  of  my  misfortune  ?  who  thinks  of  me  ?  who 
makes  efforts  for  me  in  Europe  ?  where  are  my  friends  ?  Yes, 
two  or  three,  whom  your  fidelity  immortalizes,  you  share,  you 
console  my  exile." 

Here  the  voice  of  the  Emperor  trembled  with  emotion,  and 
for  a  moment  he  was  silent.  He  then  continued : 

"  Yes,  our  life  once  shone  with  all  the  brilliance  of  the  dia- 
dem and  the  throne ;  and  yours,  Bertrand,  reflected  that 
splendor,  as  the  dome  of  the  Invalides,  gilt  by  us,  reflects  the 
rays  of  the  sun.  But  disasters  came ;  the  gold  gradually 
became  dim.  The  rain  of  misfortune  and  outrage,  with  which 
I  am  daily  deluged,  has  effaced  all  the  brightness.  We  are  mere 
lead  now,  General  Bertrand,  and  soon  I  shall  be  in  my  grave. 

"  Such  is  the  fate  of  great  men !  So  it  was  with  Caesar  and 
Alexander.  And  I,  too,  am  forgotten.  And  the  name  of  a 
conqueror  and  an  Emperor  is  a  college  theme !  Our  exploits 
are  tasks  given  to  pupils  by  their  tutors,  who  sit  in  judgment 
upon  us,  awarding  us  censure  or  praise.  And  mark  what  is 
soon  to  become  of  me ;  assassinated  by  the  English  oligarchy, 
I  die  before  my  time ;  and  my  dead  body,  too,  must  return 
to  the  earth,  to  become  food  for  the  worms.  Behold  the  des- 
tiny, near  at  hand,  of  him  whom  the  world  called  the  great 
Napoleon.  What  an  abyss  between  my  deep  misery  and  the 
eternal  reign  of  Christ,  which  is  proclaimed,  loved,  adored,  and 
which  is  extending  over  all  the  earth.  Is  this  to  die  ?  Is  it  not 
rather  to  live  ?  The  death  of  Christ !  It  is  the  death  of  God." 


NAPOLEON    TO    HIS    SON.  863 

For  a  moment  the  Emperor  was  silent.  As  General  Ber- 
trand  made  no  reply,  he  solemnly  added,  "  If  you  do  not  per*- 
ceive  that  Jesus  Christ  is  God,  very  well,  then  I  did  wrong  to 
make  you  a  general." 

A  few  days  before  the  Emperor's  death,  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1821,  Count  Montholon,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, entered  the  dying  chamber.  Napoleon's  cheek  was 
flushed,  and  his  eye  beamed  with  peculiar  luster. 

"  My  mind,"  said  he,  "  has  been  roused  in  talking  with  Gen- 
eral Bertraud  about  what  my  executors  should  say  to  my  son, 
when  they  see  him.  I  wish  in  a  few  words  to  give  you  a  sum- 
mary of  the  counsels  which  I  bequeath  to  my  son.  You  will 
thus  be  more  easily  enabled  to  detail  my  ideas  to  him. 
Write."  The  Emperor  then  rapidly  dictated  the  following  ex- 
traordinary letter : 


NAPOLEON^TO    HIS    EXECUTORS    FOR   HIS    SON    AT   VIENNA. 

ST.  HELENA,  April  21,  1821. 

My  son  should  not  think  of  avenging  my  death.  He  should 
profit  by  it.  Let  the  remembrance  of  what  I  have  done  never 
leave  his  mind.  Let  him  always  be  like  me,  every  inch  a 
Frenchman.  The  aim  of  all  his  efforts  should  be  to  reign  by 
peace.  If  he  should  recommence  my  wars  out  of  pure  love 
of  imitation,  and  without  any  absolute  necessity,  he  would  be 
a  mere  ape.  To  do  my  work  over  again,  would  be  to  suppose 
that  I  had  done  nothing.  To  complete  it,  on  the  contrary, 
would  be  to  show  the  solidity  of  the  basis,  and  explain  the 
whole  plan  of  an  edifice  which  I  had  only  roughly  sketched. 
The  same  thing  is  not  done  twice  in  a  centurv.  I  was  obliged 
to  daunt  Europe  by  my  arms.  In  the  present  day,  the  way  is 
to  convince  her.  I  saved  the  Revolution,  which  was  about  to 
perish.  I  raised  it  from  its  ruins,  and  showed  it  to  the  world, 
beaming  with  glory.  I  have  implanted  new  ideas  in  France 
and  in  Europe.  They  can  not  retrograde.  Let  my  son  bring 
into  blossom  all  that  I  have  sown.  Let  him  develop  all  the 


364  CONFIDENTIAL    LETTERS. 

elements  of  prosperity  inclosed  in  the  soil  of  France,  and  by 
these  means  he  may  yet  be  a  great  sovereign. 

The  Bourbons  will  not  maintain  their  position,  after  my 
death.  A  reaction  in  my  favor  will  take  place  everywhere, 
even  in  England.  This  reaction  will  be  a  fine  inheritance  for 
my  son.  It  is  possible  that  the  English,  in  order  to  efface  the 
remembrance  of  their  persecutions,  will  favor  my  son's  return 
to  France.  But  in  order  to  live  in  a  good  understanding  with 
England,  it  is  necessary  at  any  cost  to  favor  her  commercial 
interests.  This  necessity  leads  to  one  of  these  two  conse- 
quences— war  with  England,  or  a  sharing  of  the  commerce  of 
the  world  with  her.  This  second  condition  is  the  only  one 
possible  in  the  present  day.  The  exterior  question  will  long 
take  precedence,  in  France,  of  the  interior.  I  bequeath  to  my 
son  sufficient  strength  and  sympathy  to  euable  him  to  continue 
my  work,  with  the  single  aid  of  an  elevated  and  conciliatory 
diplomacy. 

His  position  at  Vienna  is  deplorable.  Will  Austria  set  him 
at  liberty  unconditionally  ?  But,  after  all,  Francis  I.  was  once 
in  a  more  critical  position,  and  yet  his  French  nationality  was 
nothing  impaired  by  it.  Let  not  my  son  ever  mount  the 
throne  by  the  aid  of  foreign  influence.  His  aim  should  not  be 
to  fulfill  a  desire  to  reign,  but  to  deserve  the  approbation  of 
posterity.  Let  him  cherish  an  intimacy  with  my  family 
whenever  it  shall  be  in  his  power.  My  mother  is  a  woman  of 
the  old  school.  Joseph  and  Eugene  are  able  to  give  him  good 
counsel.  Hortense  and  Catharine  are  superior  women.  If  he 
remains  in  exile,  let  him  marry  one  of  my  nieces.  If  France 
recalls  him,  let  him  seek  the  hand  of  a  Princess  of  Russia. 
This  court  is  the  only  one  where  family  ties  rule  policy.  The 
alliance  which  he  may  contract,  should  tend  to  increase  the 
exterior  influence  of  France,  and  not  to  introduce  a  foreign 
influence  into  its  councils.  The  French  nation,  when  it  is  not 
taken  the  wrong  way,  is  more  easily  governed  than  any  other. 
Its  prompt  an  1  easy  comprehension  is  unequaled.  It  i;nm..-'li- 
ately  discerns  who  labor  for  it  and  who  against  it.  But  then 


NAPOLEON    TO    HIS    SON.  365 

it  is  necessary  always  to  speak  to  its  senses ;  otherwise,  its  un- 
easy spirit  gnaws  ;  it  ferments  and  explodes. 

My  son  will  arrive  after  a  time  of  civil  troubles.  He  has 
but  one  party  to  fear,  that  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans.  This 
party  has  been  germinating  for  a  long  time.  Let  him  despise 
all  parties,  and  only  see  the  mass  of  the  people.  Excepting 
those  who  have  betrayed  their  country,  he  ought  to  forget  the 
previous  conduct  of  all  men,  and  reward  talent,  merit,  and 
service  wherever  he  finds  them.  Chateaubriand,  notwith- 
standing his  libel,  is  a  good  Frenchman. 

France  is  the  country  where  the  chiefs  of  parties  have  the 
least  influence.  To  rest  for  support  on  them  is  to  build  on 
sand.  Great  things  can  be  done  in  France  only  by  having 
the  support  of  the  mass  of  the  people.  Besides,  a  government 
should  always  seek  for  support  where  it  is  really  to  be  found. 
There  are  moral  laws  as  inflexible  and  imperious  as  the  phys- 
ical ones.  The  Bourbons  can  only  rely  for  support  on  the 
nobles  and  priests,  whatever  may  be  the  Constitution  which 
they  are  made  to  adopt.  The  water  will  descend  to  its  level, 
in  spite  of  the  machine  which  has  raised  it  for  a  moment.  I, 
on  the  contrary,  relied  on  the  whole  mass  of  the  people,  with- 
out exception.  I  set  the  example  of  a  government  which 
favored  the  interests  of  all.  I  did  not  govern  by  the  help  of, 
or  solely  for,  either  the  nobles,  the  priests,  the  citizens,  or 
tradesmen.  I  governed  for  the  whole  community,  for  the 
whole  family  of  the  French  nation. 

My  nobility  will  afford  no  support  to  my  son.  I  required 
more  than  one  generation  to  succeed  in  making  them  assume 
my  color,  and  preserve  by  tradition  the  sacred  deposit  of  my 
moral  conquests.  From  the  year  1815,  all  the  grandees 
openly  espoused  the  opposite  party.  I  felt  no  reliance  either 
on  my  marshals  or  my  nobility,  not  even  on  my  colonels ;  but 
the  whole  mass  of  the  people,  and  the  whole  army,  up  to  the 
grade  of  a  captain,  were  on  my  side.  I  was  not  deceived  in 
feeling  this  confidence.  They  owe  much  to  me.  I  was  their 
true  representative.  My  dictatorship  was  indispensable.  The 


306  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

proof  of  this  is,  that  they  always  offered  me  more  power  than 
I  desired.  In  the  present  day,  there  is  nothing  possible  in 
France  but  what  is  necessary.  It  will  not  be  the  same  with 
my  son.  His  power  will  be  disputed.  He  must  anticipate 
every  desire  for  liberty.  It  is,  besides,  easier  in  ordinary  times 
to  reign  with  the  help  of  the  Chambers  than  alone.  The  As- 
semblies take  a  great  part  of  your  responsibility,  and  nothing 
is  more  easy  than  always  to  have  the  majority  on  your  side ; 
but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  demoralize  the  country.  The 
influence  of  the  government  of  France  is  immense  ;  and  if  it 
understands  the  way,  it  has  no  need  of  employing  corruption 
in  order  to  find  support  on  all  sides.  The  aim  of  a  sovereign 
is  not  only  to  reign,  but  to  diffuse  instruction,  morality,  and 
well  being.  Any  thing  false  is  but  a  bad  aid. 

In  my  youth,  I  too  entertained  some  illusions ;  but  I  soon 
recovered  from  them.  The  great  orators  who  rule  the  Assem- 
blies by  the  brilliance  of  their  eloquence,  are,  in  general,  men 
of  the  most  mediocre  political  talents.  They  should  not  be 
opposed  in  their  own  way,  for  they  have  always  more  noisy 
words  at  command  than  you.  Their  eloquence  should  be  op- 
posed by  a  serious  and  logical  argument.  Their  strength  lies 
in  vagueness.  They  should  be  brought  back  to  the  reality  of 
facts.  Practical  arguments  destroy  them.  In  the  Councils, 
there  were  men  possessed  of  much  more  eloquence  than  I  was. 
I  always  defeated  them  by  this  simple  argument,  two  and  two 
make  four. 

France  possesses  very  clever  practical  men.  The  only  thing 
necessary  is  to  find  them,  and  to  give  them  the  means  of 
reaching  the  proper  station.  Such  a  one  is  at  the  plow,  who 
ought  to  be  in  the  Council ;  and  such  another  is  minister, 
who  ought  to  be  at  the  plow.  Let  not  my  son  be  astonished 
to  hear  men,  the  most  reasonable  to  all  appearance,  propose  to 
him  the  most  absurd  plans.  From  the  agrarian'  law  to  the 
despotism  of  the  grand  Turk,  every  system  finds  an  apologist 
in  France.  Let  him  listen  to  them  all ;  let  him  take  every 
thing  at  its  just  value,  and-  surround  himself  by  all  the  real 


NAPOLEON     TO     HIS     SON.  367 

capacity  of  the  country.  The  French  people  are  influenced  by 
two  powerful  passions,  the  love  of  liberty  and  the  love  of  dis- 
tinction. These,  though  seemingly  opposed,  are  derived  from 
one  and  the  same  feeling.  A  government  can  only  satisfy 
these  two  wants  by  the  most  exact  justice.  The  law  and  ac- 
tion of  the  government  must  be  equal  toward  all.  Honors 
and  rewards  must  be  conferred  on  the  men  who  seem,  in  the 
eyes  of  all,  to  be  most  worthy  of  them.  Merit  may  be  par- 
doned, but  not  intrigue.  The  order  of  the  Legion  of  Honor 
has  been  an  immense  and  powerful  incitement  to  virtue,  talent, 
and  courage.  If  ill-employed,  it  would  become  a  great  evil, 
by  alienating  the  whole  army,  if  the  spirit  of  court  intrigue 
and  coterie  presided  at  its  nominations  as  in  its  administration. 

My  son  will  be  obliged  to  allow  the  liberty  of  the  press. 
This  is  a  necessity  in  the  present  day.  In  order  to  govern,  it 
is  not  necessary  to  pursue  a  more  or  less  perfect  theory,  but  to 
build  with  materials  which  are  under  one's  hand  ;  to  submit  to 
necessities,  and  to  profit  by  them.  The  liberty  of  the  press 
ought  to  become,  in  the  hands  of  the  government,  a  powerful 
auxiliary  in  diffusing  through  all  the  most  distant  corners  of 
the  empire  sound  doctrines  and  good  principles.  To  leave  it 
to  itself  would  be  to  fall  asleep  on  the  brink  of  a  danger.  On 
the  conclusion  of  a  general  peace,  I  would  have  instituted  a 
Directory  of  the  press,  composed  of  the  ablest  men  of  the 
country ;  and  I  would  have  diffused,  even  to  the  most  distant 
hamlet,  my  ideas  and  my  intentions.  In  the  present  day,  it  is 
impossible  to  remain,  as  one  might  have  done  three  hundred 
years  ago,  a  quiet  spectator  of  the  transformations  of  society. 
Now  one  must,  under  the  pain  of  death,  either  direct  or  hin- 
der every  thing. 

My  son  ought  to  be  a  man  of  new  ideas,  and  of  the  cause 
which  I  have  made  triumphant  everywhere.  He  ought  to 
establish  institutions  which  shall  efface  all  traces  of  the  feudal 
law,  secure  the  dignity  of  man,  and  develop  those  germs  of 
prosperity  which  have  been  budding  for  centuries.  He  should 
propagate,  in  all  those  countries  now  uncivilized  and  barbarous, 


3£8  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

the  benefits  of  Christianity  and  civilization.  Such  should  be 
the  aim  of  all  my  son's  thoughts.  Such  is  the  cause  for 
which  I  die  a  martyr  to  the  hatred  of  the  oligarchs,  of  which 
I  am  the  object.  Let  him  consider  the  holiness  of  my  cause. 
Look  at  the  regicides !  They  were  formerly  in  the  councils 
of  a  Bourbon.  To-morrow  they  will  return  to  their  country, 
and  I  and  mine,  expiate  in  torture,  the  blessings  which  I  de- 
sire to  bestow  on  nations.  My  enemies  are  the  enemies  of 
humanity.  They  desire  to  fetter  the  people,  whom  they 
regard  as  a  flock  of  sheep.  They  endeavor  to  oppress  France, 
and  to  make  the  stream  reascend  toward  its  source.  Let 
them  take  care  that  it  does  not  burst  its  bounds. 

With  my  son,  all  opposite  interests  may  live  in  peace  ;  new 
ideas  be  diffused  and  gather  strength,  without  any  violent 
shock,  or  the  sacrifice  of  any  victims,  and  humanity  be  spared 
dreadful  misfortunes.  But  if  the  blind  hatred  of  kings  still 
pursues  my  blood  after  my  death,  I  shall  then  be  avenged, 
but  cruelly  avenged.  Civilization  will  suffer  in  every  way,  if 
nations  burst  their  bounds,  and  rivers  of  blood  will  be  shed 
throughout  the  whole  of  Europe ;  the  lights  of  conscience 
and  knowledge  will  be  extinguished  amid  civil  and  foreign 
warfare.  More  than  three  hundred  years  of  troubles  will  be 
required  in  order  to  destroy  in  Europe  that  royal  authority 
which  has,  but  for  a  day,  represented  the  interests  of  all  classes 
of  men,  but  which  struggled  for  several  centuries  before  it  could 
throw  off  all  the  restraints  of  the  Middle  Ages.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  North  advances  against  civilization,  the  strug- 
gle will  be  of  shorter  duration,  but  the  blows  more  fatal.  The 
well-being  of  nations,  all  the  results  which  it  has  taken  so 
many  years  to  obtain,  will  be  destroyed,  and  none  can  foresee 
the  disastrous  consequences.  The  accession  of  my  son  is  for 
the  interest  of  nations  as  well  as  of  kings.  Beyond  the  circle 
of  ideas  and  principles  for  which  we  have  fought,  and  which 
I  have  carried  triumphantly  through  all  difficulties,  I  see 
naught  but  slavery  and  confusion  for  France,  and  for  the 
whole  of  Europe. 


NAPOLEON    TO     HIS     SON.  369 

You  will  publish  all  I  have  dictated  or  written,  arid  you 
will  engage  my  son  to  read  and  reflect  upon  it.  You  will  tell 
4iim  to  protect  all  those  who  have  served  me  well,  and  their 
number  is  large.  My  poor  soldiers,  so  magnanimous,  so  de- 
voted, are  now,  perhaps,  in  want  of  bread.  What  courage, 
what  good  sense,  is  there  in  this  French  people !  "What  bur- 
ied riches,  which  will  perhaps  never  again  see  the  light  of 
day  !  Europe  is  progressing  toward  an  inevitable  transforma- 
tion. To  endeavor  to  retard  this  progress  would  be  but  to 
lose  strength  by  a  useless  struggle.  To  favor  it,  is  to 
strengthen  the  hopes  and  wishes  of  all. 

There  are  desires  of  nationality  which  must  be  satisfied 
sooner  or  later.  It  is  toward  this  end  that  continued  progress 
should  be  made.  My  son's  position  will  not  be  exempt  from 
immense  difficulties.  Let  him  do,  by  general  consent,  what  I 
was  compelled  by  circumstances  to  effect  by  force  of  arms. 
When  I  was  victorious  over  Russia  in  1812,  the  problem  of 
a  peace  of  a  hundred  years'  duration  was  solved.  I  cut  the 
Gordian  knot  of  nations.  In  the  present  day  it  must  be 
united.  The  remembrance  of  the  thrones  which  I  raised  up, 
when  it  was  for  the  interest  of  my  general  policy  so  to  do, 
should  be  effaced.  I  exacted,  from  my  brothers  that  they 
should  forget  their  royalty,  and  only  take  the  title  of  French 
princes.  My  son  should  follow  this  example.  An  opposite 
course  would  excite  just  alarm. 

It  is  no  longer  in  the  North,  that  great  questions  will  be 
resolved,  but  in  the  Mediterranean.  There  there  is  enough  to 
content  all  the  ambition  of  the  different  powers;  and  the 
happiness  of  civilized  nations  may  be  purchased  with  frag- 
ments of  barbarous  lands.  Let  the  kings  listen  to  reason. 
Europe  will  no  longer  afford  matter  for  maintaining  interna- 
tional hatreds.  Prejudices  are  dissipated  and  intermingled. 
Routes  of  commerce  are  becoming  multiplied.  It  is  no  lon- 
ger possible  for  one  nation  to  monopolize  it.  As  a  means  by 
which  my  son  may  see  whether  his  administration  be  good  or 
the  contrary;  whether  his  laws  are  in  accordance  with  the 
16* 


370  CONFIDENTIAL     LETTERS. 

manners  of  the  country,  let  him  have  an  annual  and  particular 
report  presented  to  him  of  the  number  of  condemnations  pro- 
nounced by  the  tribunals.  If  crimes  and  delinquencies  in- 
crease in  number,  it  is  a  proof  that  misery  is  on  the  Jncrease, 
and  that  society  is  ill-governed.  Their  diminution,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  a  proof  of  the  contrary. 

Religious  ideas  have  more  influence  than  certain  narrow- 
minded  philosophers  are  willing  to  believe.  They  are  capable 
of  rendering  great  service  to  humanity.  By  standing  well 
with  the  Pope,  an  influence  is  still  maintained  over  the  con- 
sciences of  a  hundred  millions  of  men.  Pius  VII.  will  be 
always  well  disposed  toward  my  son.  He  is  a  tolerant  and 
enlightened  old  man.  Fatal  circumstances  embroiled  our 
cabinets.  I  regret  this  deeply.  Cardinal  Fesch  did  not  under- 
stand me.  He  upheld  the  party  of  the  Ultramontanes,  the 
enemies  of  true  religion  in  France.  If  you  are  permitted  to 
return  to  France,  you  will  still  find  many  who  have  remained 
faithful  to  my  memory.  The  best  monuments  which  they 
could  raise  to  me,  would  be  to  make  a  collection  of  all  the 
ideas  which  I  expressed  in  the  Council  of  State,  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  empire ;  to  collect  all  my  instructions  to 
my  ministers,  and  to  make  a  list  of  the  works  which  I  under- 
took, and  of  all  the  monuments  which  I  raised  in  France  and 
Italy.  In  what  I  have  said  in  the  Council  of  State,  a  distinc- 
tion must  be  made  between  the  measures  good  only  for  the 
moment,  and  those  whose  application  is  eternally  true. 

Let  my  son  often  read  and  reflect  on  history.  This  is  the  only 
true  philosophy.  Let  him  read  and  meditate  on  the  wars  of  the 
greatest  captains.  This  is  the  only  means  of  rightly  learning 
the  science  of  war.  But  all  that  you  say  to  him,  or  all  that 
he  learns,  will  be  of  little  use  to  him,  if  he  has  not  in  the 
depth  of  his  heart  that  sacred  fire  and  love  of  good  which 
alone  can  effect  great  things.  I  will  hope,  however,  that  he 
will  be  worthy  of  his  destiny.  .  NAPOLEON. 

A  few.  days  after  dictating  this  letter,  Napoleon  was  tossing 


NAPOLEON    TO    HIS     SON.  371 

in  delirium  upon  his  dying  bed.  "  I  have  just  seen,"  said  he, 
"  my  good  Josephine,  but  she  would  not  embrace  me.  She 
disappeared  at  the  moment  when  I  was  about  to  take  her  in 
my  arms.  She  was  seated  there.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
seen  her  yesterday  evening.  She  is  not  changed.  She  is  still 
the  same,  full  of  devotion  to  me.  She  told  me  that  we  were 
about  to  see  each  other  again,  never  more  to  part.  Do  you 
see  her  ?" 

Ten  days  after  this,  the  weeping  attendants  of  the  Emperor 
gathered  around  his  bed  to  see  him  die.  It  was  the  morning 
of  the  5th  of  May,  1821. 

"  The  hours  of  the  night  passed  slowly  away,  while  the  ex- 
piring monarch,  insensible  and  motionless  upon  his  pillow, 
breathed  heavily,  and  occasionally  disturbed  the  solemn  silence 
of  the  scene  by  inarticulate  murmurs.  '  Twice,  I  thought,' 
says  Count  Montholon,  '  that  I  distinguished  the  unconnected 
words,  France  !  Head  of  the  army  !  Josephine  /'  During  the 
rest  of  the  day,  until  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he  was  lying 
upon  his  back,  with  his  right  hand  out  of  the  bed,  apparently 
absorbed  in  deep  meditation,  and  without  any  appearance  of 
suffering.  A  pleasant  and  peaceful  expression  was  spread  over 
his  face.  Just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  clouds  of 
that  somber  and  tempestuous  day,  the  spirit  of  Napoleon 
passed  the  earthly  vail,  and  entered  the  vast  unknown.  '  Isle 
of  Elba  !  Napoleon  /'  were  the  last  utterances  of  the  loving 
and  forgiving  Josephine.  '  France  !  the  army  !  Josephine  /' 
were  the  last  images  which  lingered  in  the  heart,  and  the  last 
words  which  trembled  upon  the  lips  of  the  dying  Emperor." 


APPENDIX. 

THE  WILL  OP  NAPOLEON;  HIS  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  HIS 
EXECUTORS,  AND  A  CHRONOLOGICAL  ACCOUNT  OP  HIS 
CAREER. 

NAPOLEON'S  LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT. 

UPON  the  authenticity  of  the  following  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  the  fullest  reliance  may  be 
placed,  as  well  as  in  the  correctness  of  the  translation  from  the 
French  text  of  the  original.  Only  two  days  before  Napoleon's 
death,  he  dictated  to  Count  Montholon  the  letter  to  be  deliv- 
ered to  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  announcing  his  decease,  leaving  a 
space  for  the  insertion  of  the  day  and  hour  of  his  dissolution. 

This  15th  of  April,  1815,  at  Longwood,  Inland  of  St.  Helena. 
This  is  my  Testament,  or  act  of  my  last  Will. 

L 

1.  I  die  in  the  apostolical  Roman  religion,  in  the  bosom  of 
which  I  was  born,  more  than  fifty  years  since.1 

1  He  (Napoleon)  says  O'Meara,  was  reading  a  little  book,  which 
proved  to  be  a  French  New  Testament.  I  could  not  help  observing 
to  him  that  many  people  vrould  not  believe  he  would  read  such  a  book, 
as  it  had  been  asserted  and  credited  by  some  that  he  was  an  unbe- 
liever ;  Napoleon  laughed  and  replied,  "  Gependant  ce  rfest  pas  vrai. 
Je  suis  loin  d'etre  Athee."  ("  Nevertheless  it  is  not  true,  I  am  far  from 
being  an  Atheist.")  In  spite  of  all  the  iniquities  and  frauds  of  the 
teachers  of  religion,  who  are  eternally  preaching  up  that  their  king- 
dom is  not  of  this  world,  yet  seize  every  thing  they  can  lay  their  hands 


NAPOLEON'S  LAST  WILL.  373 

2.  It  is  my  wish  that  my  ashes  may  repose  on  the  banks  of 
the  Seine,  in  the  midst  of  the  French  people,  whom  I  have 
loved  so  well. 

3.  I  have  always  had  reason  to  be  pleased  with  my  dearest 
wife,  Maria  Louisa.    I  retain  for  her  to  my  last  moment  the 
most  tender  sentiments — I  beseech  her  to  watcfy  in  order  to 
preserve  my  son  from  the  snares  which  yet  environ  his  in- 
fancy. 

4.  I  recommend  my  son  never  to  forget  that  he  was  born  a 
French  prince,  and  allow  himself  to  become  an  instrument  in 
the  hands  of  the  triumvirs  who  oppress  the  nations  of  Eu- 
rope ;  he  ought  never  to  fight  against  France,  or  injure  her  in 
any  way,  but  adopt  my  motto — "Every  thing  for  the  French 
people." 

5.  I  die  prematurely,  assassinated  by  the  English  oligarchy 
and  its  ****.     The  English  nation  will  not  be  slow  in  aveng- 
ing me. 

6.  The  two  unfortunate  results  of  the  invasions  of  France, 
when  she  had  still  so  many  resources,  are  to  be  attributed  to 
the  treasons  of  Marmont,  Augereau,  Talleyrand,  and  La  Fay- 
ette. 

I  pardon  them — may  the  posterity  of  France  forgive  them 
as  I  do. 

7.  I  thank  my  good  and  excellent  mother,  the  cardinal,  my 
brothers  Joseph,  Lucien,  Jerome,  and  my  sisters  Pauline,  Car- 
oline, Julie,  Hortense,  Catharine,  as  well  as  Prince  Eugene, 
for  the  interest  they  have  continued  to  feel  for  me.     I  pardon 
Louis  for  the  libel  he  published  in  1820 ;  it  is  replete  with 
unjust  assertions  and  falsified  documents. 

upon,  from  the  time  I  arrived  at  the  head  of  government,  I  did  every 
thing  in  my  power  to  re-establish  religion.  But  I  wished  to  render  it 
the  foundation  and  prop  of  morality  and  good  principles,  and  not  a 
preudrefessor  of  human  laws.  Man  has  need  of  something  wonderful; 
it  is  better  for  him  to  seek  it  in  religion  than  in  Mile,  le  Normand  (a 
celebrated  fortune-teller).  Moreover  religion  is  a  great  consolation  and 
resource  to  those  who  possess  it,  and  no  man  can  pronounce  what  he  will 
du  iii  hia  last  moments. 


3*74  APPENDIX. 

8.  I  disavow  the  "Manuscript  of  St.  Helena,"  and  other 
works,  under  the  title  of  Maxims,  Sayings,  etc.,  which  persons 
have  been  pleased  to  publish  for  the  last  six  years.  Such  are 
not  the  rules  which  have  guided  my  life.  I  caused  the  Due 
d'Enghien  to  be  arrested  and  tried,  because  that  step  was  es- 
sential to  the  safety,  interest,  and  honor  of  the  French  people, 
when  the  County  d'Artois  was  maintaining,  by  his  own  confes- 
sion, sixty  assassins  at  Paris.  Under  similar  circumstances  I 
would  again  act  in  the  same  way. 

IT. 

1.  I  bequeath  to  my  son,  the  boxes,  orders,  and  other  arti- 
cles, such  as  my  plate,  field-bed,  saddles,  spurs,  chapel  plate, 
books,  and  linen,  which  I  have  been  accustomed  to  wear  and 
use,  according  to  the  list  annexed  (A).     It  is  my  wish  that 
these  slight  bequests  may  be ,  dear  to  him,  as  recalling  the 
memory  of  a  father  of  whom  the  universe  will  discourse  in 
his  presence. 

2.  I  bequeath  to  Lady  Holland  the  antique  cameo  which 
Pope  Pius  VI.  presented  to  me  at  Tolentino. 

3.  I  bequeath  to  Count  Montholon  two  millions  of  francs, 
as  a  proof  of  my  satisfaction  for  the  filial  attentions  he  has 
paid  me  during  six  years,  and  as  an  indemnity  for  the  losses 
his  residence  at  St.  Helena  has  occasioned. 

4.  I  bequeath  to  Count  Bertrand  five  hundred  thousand 
francs. 

5.  I  bequeath  to  Marchand,  my  first  valet-de-chambre,  four 
hundred  thousand  francs.     The  services  he  has  rendered  me 
are  those  of  a  friend :  it  is  my  wish  he  should  marry  the 
widow,  sister,  or  daughter  of  an  officer  of  my  old  guard. 

6.  Item.     To  St.  Denis,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

7.  Item.     To  Novarre,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

8.  Item.     To  Pieron,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

9.  Item.     To  Archambaud,  fifty  thousand  francs. 

10.  Item.     To  Cursor,  twenty-five  thousand  francs. 

11.  Item.     To  Chandellier,  item. 


NAPOLEON'S  LAST  WILL.  375 

12.  To  the  Abbe   Vignali,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 
It  is  my  wish  that  he  should  build  his  house  near  the  Ponte 
Novo  di  Castino. 

13.  Item.     To  Count  Las  Cases,  one   hundred   thousand 
francs. 

14.  Item.     To   Count  Lavalette,  one    hundred    thousand 
francs. 

15.  Item.     To  Larrey,  surgeon-in-chief,  one  hundred  thou- 
sand francs.     He  is  the  most  virtuous  man  I  ever  knew. 

16.  Item.     To   General   Brayher,  one   hundred   thousand 
francs. 

17.  Item.     To  General  Le  Fevre  Desnouettes,  one  hundred 
thousand  francs. 

18.  Item.     To   General    Drouot,   one    hundred    thousand 
francs. 

19.  Item.     To  General  Cambrone,  one  hundred  thousand 
francs. 

20.  Item.     To  the  children  of  General  Mouton  Duvernet, 
one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

21.  Item.     To  the  children  of  the  brave  Labedoyere,  one 
hundred  thousand  francs. 

22.  Item.     To  the  children  of  General   Girard,  killed  at 
Ligny,  one  hundred  thousand  francs.       '. 

23.  Item.     To   the   children  of   General   Marchand,  one 
hundred  thousand  francs. 

24.  Item.     To  the  children  of  the  virtuous  General  Travost, 
one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

25.  Item.     To  General  Lallemand  the  elder,  one  hundred 
thousand  francs. 

26.  Item.'   To  Count  Real,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

27.  Item.     To  Costa  di  Basilica,  in  Corsica,  one  hundred 
thousand  francs. 

28.  Item.     To   General    Clausel,   one   hundred    thousand 
francs. 

29.  Item.    To  Baron  de  Menevalle,  one  hundred  thousand 
francs. 


376  APPENDIX. 

30.  Item.     To  Arnault,  the  author  of  "  Marius,"  one  hun- 
dred thousand  francs. 

31.  Item.      To    Colonel   Maricot,    one   hundred   thousand 
francs.     I  engage  him  to  continue  writing  in  defense  of  the 
glory  of  the  French  armies,  in  order  to  confound  their  calum- 
niators and  apostates. 

32.  Item.     To  Baron  Bignon,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 
I  engage  him  to  write  the  history  of  French  diplomacy,  from 
1792  to  1815. 

33.  Item.     To   Poggi  de  Talavo,  one   hundred   thousand 
francs. 

34.  Item.     To  Surgeon  Emmery,  one   hundred  thousand 
francs. 

35.  Those  sums  will  be  raised  from  the  six  millions  which  I 
deposited  on  leaving  Paris  in  1815  ;  and  the  interest,  at  the 
rate  of  five  per  cent.,  since  July,  1815.     The  accounts  will  be 
settled  with  the  bankers  by  Counts  Montholon,  Bertram!,  and 
Marchand. 

36.  Whatsoever  that  deposit  may  produce,  beyond  the  sum 
of  five  millions  six  hundred  thousand  francs,  which  have  been 
above  disposed  of,  shall  be  distributed  as  a  gratuity  among  the 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  as  well  as  the  officers  and 
soldiers  of  the  battalion  of  the  Isle  of  Elba,  according  to  a 
scale  that  may  de  determined  upon  by  Montholon,  Bertrand, 
Dronot,  Cambrone,  and  Surgeon  Larrey.    - 

37.  These  legacies,  in  case  of  death,  shall  be  paid  to  the 
widows  and  children,  and  in  default  of  such,  revert  back  to 
the  bulk  of  my  property. 

III. 

1.  Of  my  private  domain,  being  my  own  personal  property, 
of  which  no  French  law  deprives  me,  that  I  am  aware  of,  an 
account  will  be  required  from  Baron  de  la  Bouillerie,  treasurer 
thereof.  It  ought  to  amount  to  more  than  two  hundred  mil- 
lions of  francs ;  namely,  1.  The  portfolio,  containing  the  sav- 
ings made  during  fourteen  years  out  of  my  civil  list,  which 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST  WILL.  377 

amounted  to  more  than  twelve  millions  per  annum,  if  my 
memory  hold  good.  2.  The  produce  of  that  portfolio.  3.  The 
furniture  of  my  palaces,  such  as  it  was  in  1814,  including  the 
palaces  of  Rome,  Florence,  and  Turin,  all  which  furniture  was 
purchased  with  moneys  accruing  from  the  civil  list.  4.  Of 
the  proceeds  of  my  houses  in  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  consisting 
of  money,  plate,  jewels,  furniture,  equipages,  accounts  will  be 
rendered  by  Prince  Eugene,  and  the  steward  of  the  crown, 
Campagnoni.  NAPOLEON. 

2.  I  bequeath  my  private  domain  :  one  half  to  the  surviving 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  French  army  who  fought  from 
1792  to  1815,  for  the  glory  and  the  independence  of  the  na- 
tion. The  distribution  shall  be  made  in  proportion  to  their 
appointments  upon  active  service.  The  other  half  to  the 
towns  and  districts  of  Alsace,  Lorraine,  Franche-Compte, 
Burgundy,  the  Isle  of  France,  Champaine,  Forest,  and  Dau- 
phine,  which  may  have  suffered  by  either  of  those  invasions. 
There  shall  be  previously  deducted  from  such  sum,  one  million 
for  the  town  of  Brienne,  and  the  same  amount  for  that  of 
Men.  I  appoint  Counts  Montholon,  Bertrand,  and  Marchand, 
the  executors  of  my  testament. 

This  present  will,  whplly  written  with  my  own  hand,  is 
signed  and  sealed  with  my  own  arms. 

(L.  s.)  NAPOLEON. 

LIST  (A.) 

Affixed  to  my   Will. 
Longwood,  Island  of  St.  Helena,  this  15th  April,  1821. 

I. 

1.  The  consecrated  vessels  which  have  been  in  use  at  my 
chapel  at  Longwood. 

2.  I  enjoin  the  Abbe  Vignali  to  preserve  and  deliver  them 
to  my  son,  when  he  shall  attain  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 


378  APPENDIX. 


n. 

1.  My  arms,  that  is  to  say,  the  sword  I  wore  at  Austerlitz, 
the  saber  of  Sobieski,  my  dagger,  broadsword,  hanger,  and 
two  pair  of  Versailles  pistols. 

2.  My  gold  traveling-box,  which  I  used  on  the  days  of  Ulm, 
Austerlitz,  Jena,  Eylau,  and  Friedland,  on  those  of  the  island 
of  Lobau,  Moscow,  and  Montmirail.     It  is  my  wish  that  the 
same  may  be  precious  in-  the  eyes  of  my  son.     (It  has  been 
deposited  with  Count  Bertrand  since  1814.) 

3.  I  charge  Count  Bertrand  with  the  care  of  preserving 
those  objects,  and  conveying  the  same  to  my  son,  when  he 
shall  attain  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 

EL 

1.  Three  small  mahogany  boxes,  containing,  first,  thirty- 
three  snuff-boxes  or  comfit-boxes ;  second,  twelve  boxes  with 
the  Imperial  arms,  two  small  eye-glasses,  and  four  boxes  found 
on  the  table  of  Louis  XVIH  at  the  Tuileries,  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1815  ;  and  the  third,  three  snuff-boxes,  ornamented 
with  silver  medals,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Emperor, 
with  sundry  articles  for  the  use  of  the  toilet,  according  to  the 
lists  numbered  I.,  II.,  III. 

2.  My  field  boots,  which  I  used  in  all  my  campaigns. 

3.  My  field  telescope. 

4.  My  dressing-box,  one  of  each  of  my  uniforms,  a  dozen 
shirts,  and  a  complete  set  of  each  of  my  dresses,  and  generally, 
of  every  thing  used  at  my  toilet. 

5.  My  wash-hand  stand. 

6.  A  small  clock  which  is  in  my  chamber  at  Longwood. 

7.  My  two  watches,  and  the  chain  formed  of  the  Empress's 
hair. 

8.  I  charge  Marchand,  my  principal  valet-de-ohambre,  to 
take  care  of  these  articles,  and  convey  them  to  my  son  when 
he  shall  attain  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 


NAPOLEON'S  LAST   WILL.  379 

IV.   ' 

1.  My  cabinet  of  medals. 

2.  My  plate  and  Sevres  china,  which  I  used  at  St.  Helena. 
(Lists  B.  and  C.) 

3.  I  charge  Count  Montholon  to  take  care  of  these  articles, 
and  convey  them  to  my  son,  when  he  shall  attain  the  age  of 
sixteen  years. 

V. 

1.  My  three  saddles  and  bridles,  and  the  spurs  I  used  at  St. 
Helena. 

2.  My  fowling-pieces,  to  the  number  of  five. 

3.  I  charge  my  huntsman,  Novarre,  to  take  care  of  those  arti- 
cles, and  convey  them  to  my  son,  when  he  shall  attain  the  age 
of  sixteen  years. 

VI. 

1.  Four  hundred  volumes,  selected  from  those  in  my  libra- 
ry, which  I  have  been  accustomed  to  use  most. 

2.  I  charge  St.  Denis  to  take  care  of  the  same,  and  convey 
them  to  my  son,  when  he  shall  attain  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 

LIST  (A.) 

1.  None  of  the  articles  which  have  been  used  by  me  shall 
be  sold,  but  the  residue  divided  among  the  executors  of  my 
will  and  my  brothers. 

2.  Marchand  shall  preserve  my  hair,  and  cause  bracelets  to 
be  made  of  the  same,  with  gold  clasps,  in  order  to  be  sent  to 
the  Empress  Maria  Louisa,  my  mother,  and  each  of  my  broth- 
ers, sisters,  nephews,  nieces,  the  cardinal,  and  one  of  larger 
size  for  my  son. 

3.  Marchand  will  send  one  pair  of  my  gold  shoe-buckles  to 
Prince  Joseph. 

4.  A  small  pair  of  gold, knee-buckles  to  Prince  Lucien. 

5.  A  gold  collar-clasp  to  Prince  Jerome. 


380  APPENDIX. 

LIST  (A.) 

Inventory  of  my  Effects,  which  Marchand  will  take  care  of, 
and  convey  to  my  Son. 

1.  My  silver  dressing-box,  which  is  on  my  table,  furnished 
with  all  its  utensils,  razors,  etc. 

2.  My  clock :  it  was  the  alarm-clock  of  Frederic  II.,  which 

1  took  at  Potsdam  (in  box  No.  III). 

3.  My  two  watches,  with  a  chain  of  the  Empress's,  and  an- 
other of  my  own  hair  for  the  second  watch.     Marchand  will 
get  it  made  at  Paris. 

4.  My  two  seals  (one  French,  contained  in  box  No.  III). 

5.  The  small  gold  clock  now  in  my  bed-chamber. 

6.  My  wash-stand,  water-jug,  and  foot-bath,  etc. 

7.  My  night-table  which  I  used  in  France,  and  my*  silver- 
gilt  bidet. 

8.  My  two  iron  bedsteads,  mattresses,  and  coverlets,  if  they 
can  be  preserved. 

9.  My  three  silver  decanters,  that  served  to  hold  my  eau-de- 
vie,  which  my  chasseurs  carried  in  the  field. 

10.  My  French  telescope. 

11.  My  spurs,  two  pair. 

12.  Three  mahogany  boxes,  No.  I.,  II.,  III.,  containing  my 
snuff-boxes,  and  other  articles. 

13.  A  silver-gilt  perfuming-pan. 

Body  Linen. 

Six  shirts ;  6  handkerchiefs ;  6  cravats ;  6  napkins ;  6  pair 
of  silk  stockings ;  6  black  stocks ;  6  pair  of  under  stockings ; 

2  pair  of  cambric  sheets ;  2  pillow-cases ;  2  dressing-gowns ; 
2  pair  of  night  drawers ;  1  pair  of  braces ;  4  pair  of  white 
kerseymere  breeches  and  vests ;  6  Madras ;  6  flannel  waist- 
coats ;  6  pair  of  drawers ;  6  pair  of  gaiters  ;  1  small  box  filled 
with  my  snuff. — Contained  in  the   little  box,  No.  III.,  1  gold 
neck  buckle ;    1  pair  of  gold  knee-buckles ;    1   pair  of  gold 
shoe-buckles. 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST   WILL.  881 


Clothes. 

One  uniform  of  the  Chasseurs ;  1  ditto  of  the  Grenadiers ; 
1  ditto  of  the  National  Guard ;  2  hats ;  1  green-and-gray 
great  coat ;  1  blue  cloak  (that  which  I  wore  at  Marengo) ;  1 
sable  green  pelisse ;  2  pair  of  shoes ;  2  pair  of  boots ;  2  pair 
of  slippers;  6  belts.  NAPOLEON. 

LIST  (B.) 

Inventory  of  the  effects  left  in  possession  of  Monsieur,  the 
Count  de  Turenne. 

One  saber  of  Sobieski ;  1  grand  collar  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor ;  1  sword,  of  silver  gilt ;  1  consular  sword ;  1  sword, 
of  steel ;  1  velvet  belt ;  1  collar  of  the  Golden  Fleece ;  1  small 
traveling-box,  of  steel ;  1  ditto  of  silver;  1  handle  of  an  an- 
tique saber ;  1  hat  of  Henry  IV.,  and  a  cap  ;  the  lace  of  the 
Emperor ;  1  small  cabinet  of  medals ;  2  Turkey  carpets ;  2 
mantles,  of  crimson  velvet,  embroidered,  with  vests,  and  small 
clothes. 

•  I  give  to  my  son  the  saber  of  Sobieski ;  the  collar  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor ;  the  sword,  silver  gilt ;  the  consular  sword  ; 
the  steel  sword  ;  the  collar  of  the  Golden  Fleece ;  the  hat  of 
Henry  IV.,  and  a  cap ;  the  golden  dressiug-box  for  the  teeth, 
in  the  hands  of  the  dentist.1 

1  "The  captive  of  St.  Helena  left  his  son  by  his  will,  along  with  the 
memory  of  a  name  which  he  will  not  bear,  the  above  articles  of  dress 
and  furniture,  the  possession  and  use  of  which  will  probably  not  be  in- 
terdicted him.  Those  articles  were  in  the  possession  of  Marchand, 
who  proceeded  to  Vienna,  to  deliver  them  into  the  hands  of  the  Duke 
of  Reichstadt,  Before  carrying  away  those  precious  objects,  which  an- 
nounce the  state  of  denotement  in  which  the  man  who  once  possessed 
one  half  of  the  world  found  himself  at  the  moment  of  his  death,  Mar- 
chand permitted  some  friends  to  see.  Let  us  now  describe  the  inher- 
itance kfl  by  him  who  once  thought  he  should  have  been  able  to  be- 
queath to  his  family  thrones  and  nations,  and  who  has  only  left  to  his 
son  some  tattered  garments — three  uniforms — one  of  the  National 
Guard,  another  of  the  Foot  Grenadiers  of  the  Imperial  Guard,  and  the 


.382  APPENDIX. 

To  the.  Empress  Maria  Louisa,  my  lace. 

To  Madame,  my  mother,  the  silver  night-lamp. 

To  Cardinal  Fesch,  the  small  steel  traveling  box. 

third  of  the  mounted  Chasseurs  of  the  Guard,  each  bearing  the  Grand 
Eagle  of  the  Legion  of  Honor;  a  threadbare  black  coat,  made  out  of  a 
surtout  which  the  Emperor  sometimes  wore  when  he  wished  to  quit 
the  Tuileries  incog.  (Napoleon,  unwilling  to  be  indebted  to  the  En- 
glish for  materials  to  replenish  his  wardrobe,  had  his  old  clothes  re- 
paired and  altered,  and  wore  them  until  they  became  tattered.)  A 
capote  of  green  cloth,  with  two  rows  of  buttons.  This  was  the  last 
garment  the  Emperor  wore ;  he  had  it  on  the  day  he  was  forced  to 
take  to  his  death-bed ;  an  old  hood  {chaperon)  of  a  round  and  shallow 
shape,  somewhat  narrower  at  top  than  at  bottom.  A  blue  cloak,  the" 
collar  embroidered  with  gold,  which  Napoleon  wore  on  the  field  of 
battle :  it  was  this  cloak  also  that  covered  him  when  laid  out  in  state, 
and  served  as  a  pall  to  his  coffin  when  borne  to  the  foot  of  the  willow- 
tree,  the  melancholy  shade  of  which  he  loved  so  much.  Apropos — of 
the  bed  of  state  upon  which  the  Emperor  lay,  surrounded  by  the 
courtiers  of  his  misfortune,  let  us  mention  a  fact  but  little  known.  The 
English  garrison  marched  through  the  chamber  of  death;  each  soldier, 
as  he  passed  before  the  body,  gave  the  military  salute,  and  the  officers 
took  the  frozen  hand  of  Bonaparte,  and  pressed  it  respectfully;  a  ser- 
jeant,  who  had  with  him  his  son,  a  child  seven  years  of  age,  knelt 
down  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  and  said,  while  tears  stood  in  his  eyes : 
"  My  son,  there  lies  what  was  Napoleon  the  Great."  To  resume  the 
list — a  three-cocked  hat,  lined  with  green  silk,  and  padded;  this, 
though  in  a  very  bad  condition,  has  something  extremely  imposing ;  it 
is  impossible  not  to  imagine,  when  you  regard  it,  but  that  you  behold 
the  noble  forehead  of  the  hero  under  its  little  cockade,  before  which  all 
the  banners  of  Europe  were  lowered.  A  gray  capote,  the  texture  of 
which  is  so  used  that  one  fears  to  touch  it.  This  article  of  Napoleon's 
dresses  very  curious ;  it  appears  the  Emperor  attached  a  certain  degree 
of  importance  to  its  possession ;  it,  in  fact,  recalled  to  him  many  an 
extraordinary  circumstance.  He  had  it  on  when  he  quitted  the  Island 
of  Elba,  had  traversed  Russia  with  it — he  had  put  it  on  at  the  battle 
of  Lutzen,  and  also  wore  it  at  "Waterloo.  A  pair  of  silver  spurs ;  two 
silver  bottles,  to  contain  water  for  Napoleon's  use  when  he  went  to 
hunt;  a  silver  telescope,  wash-hand  basin,  and  camp  dressing-case. 
The  cordons  and  jewels  of  the  Orders  which  the  Emperor  wore.  Two 
cases,  containing  snuff-boxes,  upon  which  were  the  portraits  of  the 
princes  of  Napoleon's  family,  and  those  of  the  house  of  Bourbon; 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST  WILL.  383 

To  Prince  Eugene,  the  wax  candlestick,  silver  gilt. 

To  Princess  Pauline,  the  small  traveling  box. 

To  the  Queen  of  Naples,  a  small  Turkey  carpet. 

To  Queen  Hortense,  a  small  Turkey  carpet. 

To  Prince  Jerome,  the  handle  of  an  antique  saber. 

To  Prince  Joseph,  an  embroidered  mantle,  vest,  and  small- 
clothes. 

To  Prince  Lucien,  an  embroidered  mantle,  vest,  and  small- 
clothes. 

April  16  th,  1821,  Long  wood. 
This  is  a  Codicil  to  my  Will 

1.  It  is  my  wish  that  my  ashes  may  repose  on  the  banks 
of  the  Seine,  in  the  midst  of  the  French  people,  whom  I  loved 
so  well. 

2.  I  bequeath  to  Counts  Bertrand,  Month olon,  and  to  Mar- 
chand,  the  money,  jewels,  plate,  china,  furniture,  books,  arms, 

among  the  latter  were  portraits  of  the  Countess  of  Provence,  Louis 
XVI.,  Marie  Antoinette,  and  the  Duchess  d'Angouleme.  Several  of 
those  snuff-boxes  have  ancient  medals  set  in  them — that  which  the 
hero  oftenest  used  had  the  head  of  Alexander  the  Great.  A  pouncet- 
box,  filled  with  candied  liquorice.  The  alarm-watch  of  Frederic  the 
Great,  which  Napoleon  procured  at  Berlin,  and  always  kept  in  his  tent 
when  with  the  army.  A  square  time-piece,  in  gilded  bronze,  the  only 
one  at  Longwoood ;  a  singular  coincidence  confers  particular  interest 
on  this  piece  of  clock-work — it  stopped  one  hour  previous  to  the  death 
of  the  Emperor — though  it  had  been  wound  up  a  few  hours  before,  and 
had  never  before  stopped,  or  has  ever  gone  since,  and  at  present  marks 
the  hour  at  which  its  movements  ceased.  Some  articles  for  the  toi- 
lette-table, brushes,  etc ;  a  few  old  broken  boots ;  as  Napoleon  was 
unwilling  to  wear  any  of  English  manufacture,  some  of  the  companions 
of  his  exile  had  endeavored  to  make  others  to  replace  those  which 
were  no  longer  fit  for  the  sovereign's  use.  A  piece  of  the  blood-stained 
shirt  that  was  around  the  body  of  the  Emperor  when  opened.  A 
locket,  containing  some  dark  chestnut  hair,  beginning  to  turn  gray. 
Lastly,  the  beard  and  moustaches,  which,  during  the  Emperor's  last 
illness,  had  grown  an  inch  in  length,  and  were  cut  off  and  preserved 
by  Marchand." 


384  APPEXDIX. 

and  generally,  every  thing  that  belongs  to  me  in  the  island  of 
St.  Helena. 

This  codicil,  entirely  written  with  my  own  hand,  is  signed ; 
and  sealed  with  my  own  arms. 

(L.  s.)  NAPOLEON. 

This  24th  April,  1821.     Long  wood. 
This  is  my  Codicil,  or  Note  of  my  last  Will. 
Out  of  the  settlement  of  my  civil  list  of  Italy,  such  as 
money,  jewels,  plate,  linen,  equipages,  of  which  the  Viceroy  is 
the  depository,  the  same  belonging  to  me,  I  dispose  of  two 
millions,  bequeathing  the  same  to  my  most  faithful  servants. 
I  hope  that,  without  acting  upon  the  credit  of  any  account, 
my  son  Eugene  Napoleon  will  pay  them  faithfully.     He  can 
not  forget  the  forty  millions  I  gave  him  in  Italy,  and  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  inheritance  of  his  mother. 

1.  Out  of  those  two  millions,  I  bequeath  to  Count  Bertrand 
three  hundred  thousand  francs,  of  which  he  will  deposit  one 
hundred  thousand  in  the  treasurer's  chest,  to  be  disposed  of  ac- 
cording to  my  dispositions  in  payment  of  legacies  of  conscience. 

2.  To  Count  Montholon,  two  hundred  thousand  francs,  of 
which  he  will  deposit  one  hundred  thousand  in  the  chest,  for 
the  same  purpose  as  above  mentioned. 

3.  To  Baron  Las  Cases,  two  hundred  thousand,  of  which  he 
will  deposit  one  hundred  thousand  in  the  chest,  for  the  same 
purpose  as  above  mentioned. 

4.  To  Marchand,  one  hundred  thousand,  of  which  he  will 
deposit  fifty  thousand  in  the  chest,  for  the  same  purpose  as 
above  mentioned. 

5.  To  Count  La  Valette,  one  hundred  thousand. 

6.  To    General   Hogendorf,  of  Holland,  my  aide-de-camp, 
who  has  retired  to  the  Brazils,  one  hundred  thousand. 

7.  To  my  aide-de-camp,  Corbineau,  fifty  thousand. 

8.  To  my  aide-de-camp,  General  CafFarelli,  fifty  thousand. 

9.  To  my  aide-de-camp,  Deje.'m,  fifty  thousand. 

10.  To  Percy,  surgeon-in-chief  at  Waterloo,  fifty-thousand. 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST  WILL.  385 

11.  Fifty  thousand,  that  is  to  say,  ten  thousand  to  Pieron, 
my  maitre  d'hotel ;  ten  thousand  to  St.  Denis,  my  head  chas- 
seur ;  ten  thousand  to  Novarre ;  ten  thousand  to  Cursor,  my 
clerk  of  the  kitchen ;  and  ten  thousand  to  Archambaud,  my 
overseer. 

12.  To  Baron  Mainevalle,  fifty  thousand. 

13.  To  the  Duked'Istria,  son  of  Bessieres,  fifty  thousand  francs. 

14.  To  the  daughter  of  Duroc,  fifty  thousand  francs. 

15.  To  the  children  of  Labedoyere,  fifty  thousand. 

16.  To  the  children  of  Mouton  Duvernet,  fifty  thousand. 

17.  To   the  children  of  the  brave  and  virtuous  General 
Travost,  fifty  thousand. 

18.  To  the  children  of  Chartrand,  fifty  thousand. 

19.  To  General  Cambrone,  fifty  thousand. 

20.  To  General  Lefevre  Desnouettes,  fifty  thousand. 

21.  To  be  distributed  among  such  proscribed  persons  as 
wander  in  foreign  countries,  whether  they  may  be  French, 
Italian,  Belgians,  Dutch,  Spanish,  or  inhabitants  of  the  de- 
partments of  the  Rhine,  at  the  disposal  of  my  executors : 
one  hundred  thousand. 

22.  To  be  distributed  among  those  who  suffered  amputa- 
tion, or  were  severely  wounded  at  Ligny,  or  Waterloo,  who 
may  still  be  living,  according  to  lists  drawn  up  by  my  execu- 
tors, to  whom  shall  be  added,  Cambrone,  Larrey,  Percy,  and 
Emmery.     The  guard  shall  be  paid  double;   those  of  the 
island  of  Elba,  quadruple :  two  hundred  thousand  francs. 

This  codicil  is  written  entirely  with  my  own  hand,  signed, 
and  sealed  with  my  own  arms.  NAPOLEON. 

This  24th  of  April,  1821,  at  Longwood. 
This  is  a  third  Codicil  to  my  Will  of  the  IQth  of  April. 
1.  Among  the  diamonds  of  the  crown  which  were  delivered 
up  in   1814,  there  were  some  to  the  value  of  five  or  six 
hundred    thousand    francs    not    appertaining    to    the    same, 
but  forming  part   of  my  private  property;  repossession  of 
which  shall  be  obtained  for  the  discharge  of  my  legacies. 
17 


386  APPENDIX. 

2.  I  left  in  the  hands  of  the  banker  Torlonia,  at  Rome,  bills 
of  exchange  to  the  amount  of  two  or  three  hundred  thousand 
francs,  the  product  of  my  revenues  of  the  island  of  Elba,  since 
1815.     The  Sieur  De  la  Perouse,  although  no  Ipnger  my 
treasurer,  or  invested  with  any  character,  possessed  himself  of 
that  sum.     He  must  be  compelled  to  restore  it. 

3.  I  bequeath  to  the  Duke  of  Istria  three  hundred  thousand 
francs,  of  which  only  one  hundred  thousand  shall  be  reverti- 
ble  to  his  widow,  should  the  duke  be  dead,  on  the  payment 
of  this  legacy.     It  is  my  wish,  should  there  be  no  inconve- 
nience, that  the  duke  may  marry  Duroc's  daughter. 

4.  I  bequeath  to  the  Duchess  of  Frioul,  daughter  of  Duroc, 
two  hundred  thousand  francs ;  should  she  be  dead  at  the  pay- 
ment of  this  legacy,  no  portion  shall  be  given  to  the  mother. 

5..  I  bequeath  to  General  Rigaud  (who  was  proscribed),  one 
hundred  thousand  francs. 

6.  I  bequeath  to  Boisnod,  intendant  commissary,  one  hun- 
dred thousand  francs. 

7.  I  bequeath  to  the  children  of  General  Letort,  killed  in 
the  campaign  of  1815,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

8.  These  eight  hundred  thousand  francs  in  legacies,  shall 
be  considered  as  if  inserted  at  the  end  of  Article  36  of  my 
Testament,  which  will  make  the  legacies  disposed  of  by  my 
will  amount  to  the  sum  of  six  millions  four  hundred  thousand 
francs,  without  comprising  the  donations  I  have  made  by  my 
second  codicil. 

This  is  written  with  my  own  hand ;  and  signed  and  sealed 
with  my  arms.  (L.  s.)  NAPOLEON. 

[On  the  outside,  and  nearly  in  the  center,  is  written :] 
This  is  the  third  codicil  to  my  will,  entirely  written  with 
my  own  hand,  signed,  and  sealed  with  my  arms. 

[The  words  are  intermixed  with  the  signatures  of  Ber- 
trand,  Montholon,  Marchand,  and  Vignali,  accompanied 
by  their  respective  seals,  a  piece  of  green  silk  running 
through  the  center.  On  the  upper  left  corner  are  the 
following  directions :] 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST  WILL.  387 

To  be  opened  the  same  day,  and  immediately  after  the 
opening  of  my  will. 

NAPOLEON. 

[With  some  fragments  of  the  signatures  of  the  above- 
named  witnesses.] 

This  24th  April,  1821.     Lvngwood. 
This  is  a  fourth  Codicil  to  my  Testament. 

By  the  dispositions  heretofore  made,  we  have  not  fulfilled 
all  our  obligations,  which  has  decided  us  to  annex  this  fourth 
codicil. 

1.  We  bequeath  to  the  son  or  grandson  "of  Baron  Dutheil, 
lieutenant-general  of  artillery,  and  formerly  lord  of  St.  Andre, 
who  commanded  the  school  of  Auxonne  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  francs,  as  a  memento 
of  gratitude  for  the  care  that  brave  general  exerted  toward  us 
when  we  were  lieutenant  and  captain  under  his  orders. 

2.  Item.     To  the  son  or  grandson  of  General  Dugomier, 
who  commanded  in  chief  the  army  of  Toulon,  the  sum  of  one 
hundred  thousand  francs.     We  under  his  orders  directed  that 
siege,  and  commanded  the  artillery  :  it  is  a  testimonial  of  re- 
membrance for  the  marks  of  esteem,  affection,  and  friendship, 
which  that  brave  and  intrepid  general  demonstrated  toward 
us. 

3.  Item.     We  bequeath  one  hundred  thousand  francs  to 
the  son  or  grandson  of  the  deputy  of  the  convention,  Gas- 
parin,  representative  of  the  people  at  the  army  of  Toulon,  for 
having  protected  and  sanctioned  by  his  authority,  the  plan  we 
had  drawn  out,  which  procured  the  capture  of  the  city,  being 
contrary  to  that  sent  by  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety. 
Gaspariu  placed  us,  through  his  protection,  under  shelter,  from 
the  persecution  and  ignorance  of  the  general  officers  who 
commanded  the  army  before  the  arrival  of  my  friend  Dugo- 
mier. 

4.  Item.     We  bequeath  one  hundred  thousand  francs  to 


388  APPENDIX. 

the  widow,  son,  or  grandson,  of  our  aide-de-camp  Muiron, 
killed  at  our  side  at  Arcola,  covering  us  with  his  body. 

5.  Item.     Ten  thousand  francs  to  the  subaltern  officer  Can- 
dillon,  who  has  undergone  a  trial,  on  the  charge  ef  having 
endeavored  to  assassinate  Lord  Wellington,  of  which  he  was 
pronounced  innocent.     Cantillon  had  as  much  right  to  assas- 
sinate that  oligarchial  as  the  latter  had  to  send  me  to  perish 
upon  the  rock  of  St.  Helena.     Wellington,  who  proposed  this 
outrage,  attempted  to  justify  himself  by  pleading  the  interest 
of  Great  Britain.     Cantillon,  if  he  had  really  assassinated  that 
lord,  would  have  excused  himself,  and  been  justified  from  the 
same  motives,  the  interest  of  France,  to  rid  her  of  a  general,- 
who,  moreover,  had  violated  the  capitulation  of  Paris,  and  by 
that  act  rendered  himself  responsible  for  the  blood  of  the 
martyrs  Ney,  Labedoyere,  etc. ;  as  well  as  for  the  crime  of 
having  pillaged  the  museums,  contrary  to  the  text  of  the 
treaties. 

6.  These  four  hundred  thousand  francs  shall  be  added  to 
the  six  millions  four  hundred  thousand  of  which  we  have  dis- 
posed, making  our  legacies  amount  to  six  millions  eight  hun- 
dred and  ten  thousand  francs.     These  four  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  are  to  be  considered  as  forming  part  of  our  testa- 
ment, article   36 ;  and  to  follow  in  every  respect  the  same 
course  as  the  other  legacies. 

Y.  The  nine  thousand  pounds  sterling  which  we  presented 
to  Count  and  Countess  Montholon,  should,  if  they  have  been 
paid,  be  deducted  and  carried  to  the  account  of  the  legacies 
we  have  bequeathed  to  them  by  our  testament.  If  they  have 
not  been  paid,  our  notes  of  hand  shall  be  annulled. 

8.  In  consideration  of  the  legacy  given  by  our  will  to  Count 
Montholon,  the  pension  of  twenty  thousand  francs  granted  to 
his  wife  is  annulled.     Count  Montholon  is  charged  to  pay  it 
to  her. 

9.  The  administration  of  such  an  inheritance,  until  its  final 
liquidation,  requiring  expenses  of  offices,  journeys,  missions, 
consultations,  and  law-suits,  we  expect  our  testamentary  exec- 


NAPOLEON'S   LAST  WILL.  389 

utors  will  retain  three  per  cent  upon  all  legacies,  upon  the 
six  millions  eight  hundred  thousand  francs,  also  the  sums  con- 
tained in  the  codicils,  as  well  as  upon  the  two  millions  of  our 
private  domain. 

10.  The  amount  of  the  sums  thus  retained  shall  be  depos- 
ited in  the  hands  of  a  treasurer,  and  disbursed  by  drafts  from 
our  testamentary  executors. 

11.  If  the  sums  arising  from  the  aforesaid  deductions  be 
not  sufficient  to  defray  the  expenses,  provision  shall  be  made 
to  that  effect,  at  the  expense  of  the  three  testamentary  execu- 
tors and  treasurer,  each  in  proportion  to  the  legacy  we  have 
bequeathed  him  in  our  will  and  codicils. 

12.  Should  the  sums   arising  from  the   before-mentioned 
subtractions  be  more  than  necessary,  the  surplus  shall  be  di- 
vided among  our  three  testamentary  executors  and  treasurer, 
in  proportion  to  their  respective  legacies. 

13.  We  nominate  Count  Las  Cases,  in  default  of  him,  his 
son,  and  in  default  of  the  latter,  General  Drouot,  to  officiate  as 
treasurer. 

This  present  codicil  is  entirely  written  with  our  hand,  signed, 
and  sealed  with  our  arms.  NAPOLEON. 

This  24th  of  April,  1821.    Long-wood. 
This  is  my  Codicil  or  Act  of  my  last  Witt. 
.  Upon  the  funds  remitted  in  gold  to  the  Empress  Maria 
Louisa,  my  very  dear  and  well-beloved  spouse,  at  Orleans,  in 
1814,  she  remains  in  my  debt  two  millions,  of  which  I  dispose 
by  the  present  codicil,  for  the  purpose  of  recompensing  my 
most  faithful  servants,  whom  moreover  I  recommend  to  the 
protection  of  my  dear  Maria  Louisa. 

1.  I  recommend  to  the  Empress  to  cause  the  income  of 
thirty  thousand  francs,  which  Count  Bertrand  possessed  in  the 
Duchy  of  Parma,  and  upon  Mont  Napoleon,  at  Milan,  to  be 
restored  to  him,  as  well  as  all  arrears  due. 

2. 1  make  tbe  same  recommendation  to  her  in  regard  to  the 
Duke  of  Istria,  Duroc's  daughter,  and  others  of  my  servants 


390  APPENDIX. 

who  have  continued  faithful,  and  are  always  dear  to  me.     She 
knows  them. 

3.  Out  of  the  above-mentioned  two  millions,  I  bequeath 
three  hundred  thousand  francs  to  Count  Bertraiid,  of  which  he 
will  lodge  one  hundred  thousand  in  the  treasurer's  chest,  to  be 
employed  in  legacies  of  conscience,  according  to  my  disposi- 
tions. 

4.  I  bequeath  two  hundred  thousand  francs  to  Count  Mon- 
tholon,  of  which  he  will  lodge  one  hundred  thousand  in  the 
treasurer's  chest,  for  the  same  purpose  as  above  mentioned. 

5.  Item.    Two  hundred  thousand  francs  to  Count  Las  Cases, 
of  which  he  will  lodge  one  hundred  thousand  in  the  treasurer's 
chest,  for  the  same  purpose  as  above  mentioned. 

6.  Item.    To  Marchand  one  hundred  thousand  francs,  of 
which  he  will  place  fifty  thousand  in  the  treasurer's  chest, 
for  the  same  purpose  as  above  mentioned. 

7.  To  Jean  Jerome  Levie,  mayor  of  Ajaccio  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Revolution,  or  to  his  widow,  children,  or 
grandchildren,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

8.  To  Duroc's  daughter,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

9.  To  the  son  of  Bessieres,  Duke  of  Istria,  one  hundred 
thousand  francs. 

10.  To  General  Drouot,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

11.  To  Count  Lavalette,  one  hundred  thousand  francs. 

12.  Item.     One  hundred  thousand  francs ;  that  is  to  say, 
twenty-five  thousand  to  Pieron,  my  maitre  d'hotel ;  twenty- 
five  thousand  to  Novarre,  my  huntsman  ;  twenty-five  thousand 
to  St.  Denis,  the  keeper  of  my  books  ;  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand to  Santini,  my  former  doorkeeper. 

13.  Item.     One  hundred  thousand  francs  ;  that  is  to  say, 
forty  thousand  to  Planat,  my  orderly  officer ;  twenty  thousand 
to  Hebert,  lately  housekeeper  of  Rambouillet,  and  who  be- 
longed to  my  chamber  in  Egypt ;  twenty  thousand  to  La- 
vigne,  lately  keeper  of  one  of  my  stables,  and  my  jockey  in 
Egypt ;  and  twenty  thousand  to  Jeanet  Dervieux,  overseer  of 
the  stables,  and  who  also  served  with  me  in  Egypt. 


NAPOLEON   S    LAST    WILL.  391 

14.  Two  hundred  thousand  francs  shall  be  distributed  in 
alms  to  the  inhabitants  of  Brienne-le-Chateau  who  suffered 
most. 

15.  The  three  hundred  thousand  francs  remaining  shall  be 
distributed  to  such  officers  and  soldiers  of  my  guard  at  the 
island  of  Elba  who  may  be  still  living,  or  to  their  widows  or 
children,  in  proportion  to  their  appointments,  and  according  to 
an  estimate  which  shall  be  fixed  by  my  testamentary  execu- 
tors.    Those  who  have  suffered  amputation  or  been  severely 
wounded  shall  receive  double:  the  estimate  to  be  fixed  by 
Larrey  and  Emmery. 

This  codicil  is  written  entirely  with  my  own  hand,  signed, 
and  sealed  with  my  arms.  NAPOLEON. 

[On  the  back  of  the  codicil  is  written :] 
This  is  my  codicil,  or  act  of  my  last  will,  the  execution 
whereof  I  recommend  to  my  dearest  wife,  the  Empress  Maria 
Louisa.  (L.  s.)  NAPOLEON. 

[Attested  by  the  following  witnesses,  whose  seals  are  respect- 
ively affixed.] 
Montholon,  ^ 

Bertrand,      I  A    {QQQ  of  ^ 

Marchand, 
Vignali.        J 

6th  Codicil. 

Monsieur  Lafitte,  I  remitted  to  you,  in  1815,  at  the  moment 
of  my  departure  from  Paris,  a  sum  of  nearly  six  millions,  for 
which  you  have  given  me  a  receipt  in  duplicate.  I  have  can- 
celled one  of  the  receipts,  and  I  charge  Count  Montholon  to 
present  to  you  the  other,  in  order  that  you  may  pay  him,  after 
my  death,  the  said  sum,  with  interest,  at  the  rate  of  five  per 
cent.,  from  the  1st  of  July,  1815,  deducting  the  payments  you 
have  been  instructed  to  make  by  virtue  of  my  orders. 

It  is  my  wish  that  the  settlement  of  your  account  may  be 
agreed  upon  between  yourself,  Count  Montholon,  Count  Ber- 
trand, and  the  Sieur  Marchand ;  which  settlement  being  made, 


392  APPENDIX. 

I  give  you,  by  these  presents,  a  complete  and  absolute  dis- 
charge from  the  said  sum. 

I  also,  at  that  time,  placed  in  your  hands  a  box,  containing 
rny  cabinet  of  medals.  I  beg  you  will  deliver  the  same  to 
Count  Montholon. 

This  letter  having  no  other  object,  I  pray  God,  Monsieur 
Lafitte,  to  have  you  in  His  holy  and  good  keeping. 

NAPOLEON. 
Lang  wood,  Island  of  St.  Helena,  the  25th  April,  1821. 

nth  Codicil. 

Monsieur  le  Baron  Labouillerie,  treasurer  of  my  private  do- 
main : — I  beg  you  to  deliver  the  account  and  balance,  after  my 
death,  to  Count  Montholon,  whom  I  have  charged  with  the 
execution  of  my  will. 

This  letter  having  no  other  object,  I  pray  God,  Monsieur  le 
Baron  Labouillerie,  to  have  you  in  His  holy  and  good  keeping. 

NAPOLEON. 
Longwood,  Island  of  St.  Helena,  the  25th  April,  1821. 

This  testament  was  presented,  on  the  10th  of  December, 
1821,  to  the  Prerogative  Court  of  the  Lord  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  and  deposited  and  registered,  according  to  the 
affidavit,  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Fox,  notary  and  attorney  of  the 
Court. 

The  affair  of  Napoleon's  will  came  before  the  tribunal  of 
the  Chambers  of  Paris,  with  closed  doors,  at  the  latter  end  of 
April,  1822,  when  the  cause  was  adjourned,  to  hear  the  king's 
attorney-general.  It  was  then  presumed  that  Napoleon,  hav- 
ing been  proclaimed  a  rebel  and  a  traitor,  could  have  no  prop- 
erty to  assign  over  or  devise  at  the  time  when  he  placed  his 
funds  under  dispute  in  the  hands  of  M.  Lafitte,  the  banker; 
and  it  was  ultimately  determined  that  the  documents  brought 
forward  by  the  plaintiffs  in  proof  of  their  right  to  the  litigated 
funds,  either  as  attorneys  or  executors  of  the  Emperor,  were 
null  and  void. 


NAPOLEON  TO  HIS  EXECUTORS.    393 

NAPOLEON'S  INSTRUCTIONS  TO  HIS  EXECUTORS. 

April  26,  1821.     Longwood. 

1.  My  legacies  are  to  be  paid  in  their  full  amount. 

2.  The  five  million  two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  francs 
which  I  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  banker  Lafitte  ought  to 
produce,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1822,  the  interest  being  reck- 
oned at  five  per  cent.,  which  I  agreed  upon  with  him,  about 
seven  millions.     In  case  of  difficulty,  the  account  must  be 
settled 'with  the  strictness  of  a  clerk  settling  with  his  master, 
since  superior  powers  have  prevented  me  from  writing  and 
disposing  of  my  funds  :  I  can  permit  no  modification  on  this 
point. 

3.  The  following  are  the  only  sums  which  I  am  aware 
that  Monsieur  Lafitte  has  paid  on  my  account : — First,  one 
hundred  thousand  francs  to  Count  Las  Cases  ;  second,  twenty 
thousand  francs  to  General  Lallemand  the  elder ;  third,  seventy- 
two  thousand  francs  to  Balcombe,  on  a  letter  of  credit  from 
Count  Bertrand ;  fourth,  three  thousand  francs  to  Gilly,  my 
valet-de-chambre  ;  fifth,  an  authorization,  sent  through  Prince 
Eugene,  to  furnish  a  monthly  sum  of  twelve  thousand  francs 
to  London  since  1817,  to  be  employed  for  my  use.     (This 
sura  was  not  furnished,  with  the  exception  of  a  part  to  Mr. 
Parker :  I  am   therefore   indebted  for  considerable   sums   to 
Count  Bertrand ;  all  these  must  be,  in  the  first  place,  repaid  to 
him.)     Hence  it  results  that,  on  the  regulation  of  these  ac- 
counts, the  sum  which  I  left  in  his  hands  ought  to  amount, 
capital  and  interest,  to  about  six  million  two  hundred  thousand 
francs,  disposable  on  the  1st  of  January,  1822. 

4.  The  question  relative  to  my  private  domain  is  one  of 
principal  importance ;  it  will  be  susceptible  of  much  discus- 
sion ;  but  the  restitution  of  the  money  left  in  the  hands  of 
Peyrusse,  which,  as  I  believe,  has  reverted  to  the  crown  ;  the 
liquidation  of  my  civil  list  of  Italy,  which  should  produce 
several  millions ;  the  value  of  the  furniture  annexed  to  the 
crown,  and  which  belonged  to  me  before  the  civil  list,  at  the 

17* 


394  APPENDIX. 

time  of  my  Consulate,  and  even  when  I  was  General  (in  the 
former  class  is  included  all  the  furniture  of  St.  Cloud,  and  a 
part  of  that  of  the  Tuileries ;  in  the  second,  a  great  part  of 
the  furniture  of  Rambouillet) ;  the  presents  received  by  me, 
either  from  other  sovereigns  or  from  the  city  of  Paris,  such  as 
the  beautiful  articles  of  malachite  from  Russia,  the  lusters, 
crystals,  etc.,  etc.,  the  gold  service  presented  to  me  by  the  city 
of  Paris — all  these  things  are  a  separate  question  :  these  dif- 
ferent articles  should  produce  several  millions. 

5.  With  regard  to  the  furniture  of  the  crown,  which  belongs 
to  me,  as  having  been  bought  with  the  proceeds  of  the,,  civil 
list,  it  will  be  said,  that  by  a  senatus  consultum,  the  heirs  of 
the  Emperor  were  declared  only  to  be  capable  of  inheriting 
any  part  of  it  in  case  its  value  exceeded  thirty  millions  of 
francs ;  but  this  was  for  the  future ;  it  was  a  family  regula- 
tion, and  it  would  be  an  act  of  injustice  to  regard  this  furni- 
ture as  not  being  my  property. 

6.  Laaken  was  purchased  from  the  proceeds  of  the  extraor- 
dinary domain,  but  its  furniture  was  paid  for  with  the  proceeds 
of  the  private  domain.     This  latter,  therefore,  amounts  to  a 
sum  of  eight  hundred  thousand  francs,  which  is  to  be  claimed 
from  the  King  of  the  Netherlands. 

7.  When  the  King  of  Sardinia  and  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Tuscany  were  driven  from  their  dominions  in  1799,  they  took 
with  them  their  plate,  jewels,  and  other  precious  effects ;  their 
private  domains  were  even  reserved  for  them.    By  what  right, 
then,  did  these  sovereigns  presume  to  retain  possession  of  my 
plate  and  furniture  which  I  sent  from  Paris,  and  which  were 
purchased  Avith  the  proceeds  of  my  civil  list  ? 

8.  The  Pope  took  away  his  plate  and  precious  effects  from 
Rome.     The  plate  and  furniture  which  I  sent  to  Rome,  and 
which  were  paid  for  from  the  proceeds  of  my  civil  list,  belong 
of  right  to  me. 

9.  I  had,  in  the  Isle  of  Elba,  a  little  farm  called  Saint  Martin, 
estimated  at  two  hundred  thousand  francs,  with  furniture,  car- 
riages, etc. ;  this  was  purchased  with  money  belonging  to  the 


NAPOLEON  TO  HIS  EXECUTORS.       395 

Princess  Pauline.  If  it  has  been  refunded  to  her,  I  am  satis- 
fied ;  but  if  this  has  not  been  done,  my  executors  shall  take 
measures  to  effect  its  repayment  to  the  Princess  Pauline,  if  she 
be  still  living ;  if  not,  it  must  revert  to  the  mass  of  my  prop- 
erty. 

10.  I  had  at  Venice  five  million  francs' worth  of  quicksilver, 
of  which  I  believe  a  great  portion  to  have  been  pilfered  by 
the  Austrians.     It  must  be  reclaimed,  and  its  restitution  ef- 
fected. 

11.  There  are  reports  in  circulation  concerning  a  will  of 
the  Patriarch  of  Venice.     They  must  be  inquired  into. 

12.  I  left  at  Malmaison,  independently  of  all  my  books,  two 
millions  of  francs,  in  gold  and  jewels,  in  a  concealed  place.     I 
never  made  a  special  donation  of  it  to  the  Empress  Josephine. 
I  desire  that  this  sum  may  be  reclaimed  by  my  executors, 
but  only  in  case  this  is  necessary  to  the  completion  of  my 
legacies. 

13.  I  gave  the  Empress  Maria  Louisa  two  millions  of  francs 
in  gold,  at  Orleans.     She  is,  therefore,  in  my  debt  for  this 
sum;  but  I  desire  that  it  may  not  be  reclaimed,  except  it 
shall  be  found  necessary  for  the  completion  of  my  legacies. 

14.  I  have,  in  the  hands  of  Denon  and  D'Albe,  a  great 
number  of  plans,  which  belong  to  me ;  because,  for  several 
years,  I  have  paid  ten  thousand  or  twelve  thousand  francs  per 
month  for  the  making  and  completion  of  these  plans  and 
drawings.    An  account  must  be  rendered  of  them  to  my  ex- 
ecutors, who  will  afterward  take  possession  of  them  for  my 
son. 

15.  I  desire  that  my  executors  may  make  a  collection  of 
engravings,  pictures,  books,  and  medals,  which  may  give  my 
son  just  ideas,  and  destroy  those  false  ones  which  foreign 
policy  may,  perhaps,  have  desired  to  inculcate  ;  that  he  may, 
in  fine,  be  enabled  to  see  things  as  they  really  were.     In  pub- 
lishing my  campaigns  of  Italy  and  Egypt,  and  such  other  of 
my  manuscripts  as  may  be  published,  they  shall  be  dedicated 
to  my  son,  as  well  as  the  letters  addressed  to  me  by  other 


396  APPENDIX. 

sovereigns,  if  they  are  to  be  found :  they  should  be  procurable 
in  the  archives,  and  this  ought  not  to  be  difficult,  since  na- 
tional vanity  would  be  greatly  a  gainer  by  their  publication. 

16.  If  a  collection  of  views  of  my  headquarters  can  be 
found,  which  was  at  Foatainebleau,  as  well  as  some  views  of 
my  palaces  in  France  and  Italy,  they  shall  be  kept  for  my  sou. 

17.  Constant  robbed  me  of  a  great  many  things  at  Fon- 
tainebleau.     I  believe  that  many  things  may  be  got  from  him 
and  Roustan  which  would  be  precious  to  my  son,  and  to  them 
have  only  a  metallic  value. 

18.  There  were  in  my  small  apartments  at  the  top  of  the 
palace  at  the  Tuileries,  a  great  number  of  chairs  worked  by 
Josephine  and  Maria  Louisa.     It  may  be  agreeable  to  my  son 
to  have  them. 

19.  Whenever  my  executors  shall  be  enabled  to  see  my 
son,  they  shall  earnestly  set  his  opinions  right  on  facts  and 
things,  and  put  him  in  the  right  way. 

20.  Whenever  my  executors  shall  be  enabled  to  see  the 
Empress,  which  I  desire  may  be  separately,  and  as  soon  as 
prudence  will  permit,  they  shall  do  the  same. 

21.  Though  I  by  no  means  desire  that  my  mother,  if  she  be 
yet  alive,  should  give  my  son  advantages  (in  her  will),  since  I 
believe  him  to  be  richer  than  her  other  children,  I  should, 
nevertheless,  wish  that  she  should  distinguish  him  by  some 
precious  legacy,  such  as  portraits  of  my  mother  and  father, 
or  some  trinkets,  which  he  may  be  able  to  say  he  has  received 
from  his  grand-parents. 

22.  As  soon  as  my  son  shall  have  attained  years  of  discre- 
tion, I  should  wish  my  mother,  my  brothers,  and  sisters,  to 
write  to  him,  and  unite  themselves  to  him  in  affection ;  any 
obstacle  will  be  powerless,  since  my  son  may  have  his  own 
acquaintances. 

23.  It  would  give  me  pleasure  that  those  of  my  officers  or 
domestics  who  shall  be  able  so  to  do,  should  attach  themselves 
to  the  service  of  my  son — as  the  children  of  Bertrand,  or 
those  of  Montholon, 


NAPOLEON  TO  HIS  EXECUTORS.       397 

24.  My  executors  shall  engage  my  son  to  reassume  his  name 
of  Napoleon,  as  soon  as  he  shall  have  attained  to  years  of  dis- 
cretion, and  shall  be  able  conveniently  so  to  do. 

25.  Many  things  should  be  found  in  the  hands  of  Denon, 
D'Albe,  Fain,  Menneval,  and  Bourrienne,  which  will  be  highly 
interesting  to  my  son. 

26.  In   publishing   the  memoirs  on  Italy,  use  should  be 
made  of  the  plans  in  D'  Albe's  possession.     I  caused  all  the 
plans  of  battle  to  be  drawn ;  it  even  seems  that  he  has  printed 
them.     At  the  Depot  of  War  may  be  procured  plans  of  several 
battles  which  I  made.     I  suspect  that  Jomini  was  aware  of  this. 

27.  My  executors  shall  write  to  the  King  of  England,  when 
they  proceed  to  that  country,  insisting'that  my  remains  shall 
be  transported  to  France ;  and  to  the  .French  Government, 
they  shall  write  in  the  same  manner. 

28.  If  Las  Cases  fulfills  the  functions  of  treasurer,  and  my 
executors  judge  it  necessary  to  have  a  secretary,  should  that 
office  suit  Drouot,  he  may  be  nominated. 

29.  I  have  a  young  cousin  at  Ajaccio,  who  has,  I  believe, 
landed  property  to  the  amount  of  three  hundred  thousand 
francs ;  her  name  is  Pallavicini ;  if  she  is  not  yet  married,  and 
would  suit  Drouot,  her  mother,  if  informed  that  such  is  my 
desire,  will  give  her  to  him  without  difficulty. 

30.  I  desire  that  my  family  should  be  informed  of  my  wish 
that  my  nephews  and  nieces  shall  marry  either  among  them- 
selves, in  the  Roman  States,  in  the  Swiss  Republic,  or  in  the 
United  States  of  America.     I  disapprove  of  a  marriage  with 
a  Swede,  and,  unless  the  good  fortune  of  France  should  return, 
desire  that  my  family  should  have  as  little  as  possible  to  do 
with  kingly  courts. 

31.  In  the  hands  of  Apiani,  a  painter  at  Milan,  may  be 
found  many  things  which  will  be  important  to  my  son  :  the 
remembrance  of  me  will  be  the  glory  of  his  life ;  let  my  exe- 
cutors collect,  obtain  possession  of,  or  facilitate  his  acquisition 
of  every  thing  which  may  bring  such  an,  entourage  around 
him. 


398  APPENDIX. 

32.  Should  good  fortune  again  return,  and  my  son  ascend 
the  throne,  it  is  the  duty  6f  my  executors  to  make  him  un- 
derstand all  that  I  owe  to  my  old  officers  and  soldiers  and  to 
my  faithful  adherents. 

33.  My  executors  shall  also,  by  letter,  or  personally  when 
possible,  express  to  the  Empress  Maria  Louisa  the  esteem  and 
sentiments  which  I  have  entertained  for  her,  and  constantly 
recommend  to  her  charge  my  son,  whose  only  resources  must 
depend  upon  her. 

34.  If  the  Deputy  Ramolino  is  at  Paris,  he  may  be  con- 
sulted on  the  condition  of  my  family  and  the  means  of  cor- 
responding with  them^ 

35.  I  desire  that  my  executors  may  procure  the  best  like- 
nesses of  me,  in  different  costumes,  and  may  send  them  to  my 
son  as  soon  as  it  shall  be  in  their  power. 

36.  My  nurse  at  Ajaccio  has  children  and  grandchildren, 
whom  the  great  benefits  I  have  bestowed  on  her  have  put 
in  a  position  to  bring  up  well.     I  suppose  she  is  dead ;  and, 
besides,  presume  her  to  be  very  rich  :  if,  however,  it  happens, 
from  a  caprice  of  fortune,  that  all  that  I  have  done  for  her 
has  not  turned  out  well,  my  executors  shall  not  leave  her  in 
want. 

37.  I  should  not  be  displeased  that  the  little  Leo  should 
enter  the  magistracy,  if  such  should  be  his  taste.     I  should 

'wish  Alexander  Waleska  to  be  drawn  into  the  service  of 
France,  into  the  army. 

(Signed)  NAPOLEON. 


IMPORTANT    EVENTS.  399 


CHRONOLOGICAL  ACCOUNT  OF  IMPORTANT 
EVENTS  IN  NAPOLEON'S  CAREER. 

1784. 
Napoleon  joined  the  military  school  at  Paris. 

1785. 

"Was  appointed  to  the  artillery  in  the  regiment  de  la  Fere.  He 
first  distinguished  himself  at  Toulon,  by  his  superior  skill  in  directing 
the  batteries,  and  was  soon  after  named  general  of  brigade.  On  the 
5th  October  1794,  he  commanded  the  conventional  troops,  and  quelled 
the  insurrection  at  Paris. 

1796. 

In  March  he  married  Josephine  de  Beauharnais,  widow  of  Count 
Beauharnais,  who  had  been  beheaded  by  order  of  Robespierre. 

Three  days  after,  Bonaparte  left  his  bride  for  Nice,  to  take  the  com- 
mand of  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  men,  the  great  object  of  his  ambi- 
tion— when,  after  several  skirmishes,  he  out-maneuvered  the  Austrians 
and  Sardinians. 

In  April,  with  troops  destitute  of  every  thing,  he  won  the  battles  of 
Montenotte,  Millesimo,  Dego,  and  Mondovl 

May  10th,  gained  the  battle  of  Lodi,  and  soon  found  himself  master 
of  Piedmont  and  the  Milanese.  August  3d  he  conquered  at  Lonado, 
and  on  the  5th  at  Castiglione. 

September    4.  The  battle  of  Roveredo. 
8.  The  battle  of  Bassano. 
13.  The  battle  of  San-Giargo. 

November  15.  The  battle  of  Arcola. 

1797. 
January      13.  The  battle  of  Rivoli. 

16.  The  battle  of  La  Favorite. 
February      2.  Mantua  taken. 
March         16.  Battle  of  Tagliamento. 

20.  Battle  of  Lavis. 

23.  Trieste  surrendered. 

April          18.  Preliminaries  of  peace  with  Austria  signed  at  Leoben. 
May  16.  Took  possession  of  Venice. 

October      17.  Treaty  of  Campo  Formio. 


400 


APPENDIX. 


1798. 

May  19.  Sailed  for  Egypt. 

July  21.  Battle  of  the  Pyramids. 

1799. 

February    15.  Battle  of  El  Arish. 
April  16.  Battle  of  Nazareth. 

15.  Battle  of  Mount  Tabor. 

May  21.  Siege  of  Acre  raised  by  Sir  Sidney  Smith. 

July  25.  Battle  of  Aboukir. 

August       23.  Sailed  from  Egypt  for  France. 
October        8.  Landed  at  Frejus. 
November    9.  Dissolved  the  Conventional  Government. 

10.  Declared  First  Consul. 


1800. 

February    1 5.  Made  peace  with  the  Chouans. 
May  15.  Crossed  Mount  St.  Bernard. 

26.  Battle  of  Romano. 
June  9.  Battle  of  Montebello. 

14.  Battle  of  Marengo. 

Preliminaries  of  peace  with  Austria  signed  at  Paris. 
December  24.  Explosion  of  the  infernal  machine. 

1801. 

February      9.  Treaty  of  Luneville  with  Austria. 
October         1.  Preliminaries  of  peace  with  England. 

1802. 

January  26.  The  Cisalpine  republic  placed  under  Napoleon. 

March  27.  Definitive  treaty  with  England. 

May  19.  Legion  of  Honor  instituted. 
August         2.  Declared  Consul  for  life. 


February      5.  Moreau  arrested. 
March         21.  The  Duke  d'Enghein  shot. 
May  18.  Made  Emperor. 

November  19.  Crowned  by  the  Pope. 


•• 

IMPORTANT   J2VENT8.  401 

1805. 

February     19.  Wrote  a  pacific  Letter  to  the  King  of  England. 
May  26.  Declared  King  of  Italy. 

September  24.  Headed  his  army  against  Austria. 
October         8.  "Won  the  battle  of  Wertinghen. 
9.  Won  the  battle  of  Guntzburg. 

14.  Won  the  battle  of  Memingen. 

15.  Won  the  battle  of  Elchingen. 

20.  Mack  surrendered  at  Ulm. 
November  13.  Vienna  taken. 

21.  Battle  of  Diernestein. 
December     2.  Battle  of  Austerlitz. 

15.  Treaty  at  Presburg  with  Prussia. 

26.  Treaty  at  Vienna,  with  Austria. 

1806. 

June  5.  Louis  Bonaparte  declared  King  of  Holland. 

July  26.  Convocation  of  the  Jews. 

27.  Confederation  of  the  Rhine  published. 
October      10.  Battle  of  Saalfield. 

13.  Battle  of  Weimar. 

14.  Battle  of  Jena, 

18.  Battle  of  Halle. 

26.  Battle  of  Zebdernich. 

28.  Battle  of  Prentzlow. 
November    2.  Battle  of  Jabel. 

26.  Berlin  decree. 
December  23.  Battle  of  Zarnova. 

25.  Battle  of  Pulstuck. 

1807. 
January      26.  Battle  of  Mobringen. 

27.  Battle  of  Bergfried. 
February      8.  Battle  of  Eylau. 

19.  Battle  of  Ostrolenka. 
April           15.  Battle  of  Weiskelmonde. 
June           14.  Battle  of  Friedland. 
July              1.  Treaty  of  Tilsit. 

1808. 

July  7.  Joseph  Bonaparte  declared  King  of  Spain. 

September    8.  Battle  of  Valmaceda. 


402  APPENDIX. 

September  10.  Battle  of  Gamenal. 
16.  Battle  of  Burgos. 

27.  Conference  at  Erfurth. 
November    5.  Napoleon  arrived  at  Vittoria. 

18.  Battle  of  St.  Ander. 
December     4.  Surrender  of  Madrid. 

8.  Surrender  of  Santa  Cruz. 

1809. 

January     22.  Napoleon  returned  to  Paris. 
April  6.  "War  declared  by  Austria. 

13.  Napoleon  headed  his  army  against  Austria. 

21.  Battle  of  Landshut 

22.  Battle  of  Eckmiihl. 

25.  Battle  of  Ratisbonne. 

26.  Battle  of  Newmark. 
May            10.  Entered  Vienna. 

11.  Battle  of  the  Danube. 

18.  Battle  of  Gorpick. 

22.  Battle  of  Essling. 
June  14.  Battle  of  Raab. 

July  5.  Battle  of  Enzersdorf. 

6.  Battle  of  "Wagram. 
October  14.  Treaty  of  Vienna. 
December  15.  Marriage  wibh  Josephine  dissolved. 

1810. 
March         11.  Napoleon  married  Maria  Louisa,  daughter  of  Francis 

II.,  of  Austria. 

July  9.  Holland  and  the  Hanse  Towns  annexed  to  France. 

August       21.  Bernadotte  elected  Crown-Prince  of  Sweden. 

1811. 

January        1.  Hamburg  annexed  to  the  Empire. 
March         20.  The  Empress,  Maria  Louisa,  delivered  of  a  son,  styled 
King  of  Rome. 

1812. 

May  2.  Napoleon  headed  the  army  against  Russia. 

June  11.  Arrived  at  Konigsberg. 

28.  Entered  "Wilna. 
July           24.  Battle  of  Ostrowno. 

27.  Battle  of  Witepsk. 


IMPORTANT    EVENTS.  408 

August       16.  Battle  of  Smolensk 
August       18.  Battle  of  Polotsk. 
September    5.  Battle  of  Mojaisk. 

7.  Battle  of  Moskwa. 
14.  Enters  Moscow. 

October      22.  Evacuates  the  same. 

24.  Battle  of  Malojaroslavetz. 

November    3.  Battle  of  Viazma. 

8.  Battle  of  "Wop. 

16.  Battle  of  Krasnoe. 

27.  Passage  of  the  Beresina. 
December     5.  Leaves  the  army  for  Paris. 

18.  Arrives  in  Paris,  and  raises  new  levies. 

1813. 

April          18.  Took  the  command  of  the  army  on  the  Elbe. 
May  1.  Battle  of  Lutzen. 

20.  Battle  of  Bautzen. 

26.  Battle  of  Wurchen. 
June             4.  Armistice  agreed  on. 
August       17.  Hostilities  recommenced. 

28.  Battle  of  Dresden — Moreau  killed. 
September  28.  Dresden  evacuated. 

October      18.  Battle  of  Leipsic. 

December     1.  Declaration  of  the  Allies  at  Frankfort. 

1814. 
January       4,  Allies  crossed  the  Rhine. 

27.  Battle  of  St.  Dizier. 

29.  Battle  of  Brienne. 
February    10.  Battle  of  Champ  Aubert. 

11.  Battle  of  MontmiraiL 
14.  Battle  of  Yauchamp. 

17.  Battle  of  Nangis. 

18.  Battle  of  Montereau. 
27.  Battle  of  Croane. 
31.  Allies  entered  Paris. 

April          11.  Napoleon  abdicated  the  throne. 
May  28.  Sailed  for  Elba. 

1815. 
March  1.  Landed  in  France  from  Elba. 

20.  Arrived  at  Paris,  and  reascended  the  throne. 


404  APPENDIX. 

March         25.  Declared  an  outlaw  by  the  allied  sovereigns. 
April          25.  Called  a  new  House  of  Peers  and  Chamber  of  Rep- 
resentatives of  the  people. 

25.  Assembly  of  the  Champ  de  Mai. 
June  14.  Battle  of  Fleurus. 

16.  Battle  of  Ligny. 

18.  Battle  of  Waterloo. 

21.  Abdicated  the  throne  in  favor  of  his  son. 
July  15.  Surrendered  himself  to  the  English. 

August       11.  Sailed  from  England  for  St.  Helena. 

1821. 

May  5.  Died  at  St.  Helena,  after  an  imprisonment  of  five 

years,  eight  months,  and  twenty-five  days. 


THE    END. 


THE     R  AG-P  I  CKE  R; 

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MUSICAL    LITERATURE. 

MUSICAL 

LETTERS  FROM  ABROAD, 

Including  Detailed  Accounts  of  the   Birmingham,    Norwich, 

and  Dusseldorf  Music   Festivals  of   1852.     By  LOWELL 

MASON,     i  Vol.,  I2mo.     312  pp.     Price  $i. 

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in  musical  matters.  Its  pages  are  devoted  more  particularly  to  church  music,  or  to  the 
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insight  into  the  mysteries  and  subtle  intricacies  of  the  art  of  music,  will  derive  benefit  ami 
entertainment  from  the  perusal  of  its  pages. 


DISSERTATION 

ON     MUSICAL     TASTE. 

By  THOMAS  HASTINGS,     i  Vol.,  I2mo.     Price  Si. 

In  this  volume  the  author  aims  not  only  to  give  his  reader  an  insight  Into  the  element 
of  music,  but  endeavors  to  instruct  his  taste  and  judgment  in  the  selection  and  performance 
of  music  of  every  character. 


THE    HISTORY 

OF      FORTY      CHOIRS. 

By   THOMAS    HASTINGS,    Author   of   "  Dissertation    on 
Musical  Taste." 

This  book  contains  the  actual  history  of  forty  choirs.  The  leading  object  has  been  to 
afford  useful  instruction  in  such  a  manner  as  to  avoid  unpleasant  personalities.  While  no 
individual  will  recognize  his  own  likeness  in  the  book,  multitudes,  it  is  supposed,  may 
discover  features  not  unworthy  of  their  contemplation. 


A    HISTORY   OF 

THE    OLD    HUNDREDTH 
PSALM     TUNE, 

With  Specimens.     By  Rev.  W.  H.  HAVERGAL,  M.A.,  Rector 
of  St.  Nicholas  and  Honorary  Canon,  Worcester.     With 
a  Prefatory  Note  by  the  Right  Rev.  J.  M.  WAIN- 
WRIGHT,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  New  York.      I  Vol., 
8vo.     Cloth.      Price  75   cents. 

"  The  history  of  such  a  composition,"  writes  the  late  lamented  Dr.  Walnwright,  "  must 
be  a  matter  of  interest  not  only  to  the  musician,  but  to  all  who  have  the  slightest  taste  for 
musical  art,  and  especially  to  those  who  take  delight  in  the  service  of  song  in  the  houie  of 
the  Lord." 


GLEE     BOOKS. 


THE   NEW  YORK  GLEE  AND  CHORUS    BOOK.    A   collection  of 

new  and  admired  glees  a'hd  choruses,  for  singing-schools,  choir  practice,  Musical  conven- 
tions, and  the  social  circle.    By  WK.  B.  BRADBURY  and  LOWELL  MASON.    (In  press.)    $1. 

THE  NEW  ODEON.  A  collection  of  Secular  Melodies,  arranged  and 
harmonized  in  four  parts.  By  LOWELL  MASON  and  G.  J.  WEBB.  $1. 

A  revised  edition  of  the  most  popular  collection  of  secular  music  ever  published  in  Amer- 
ica, but  which  has  for  some  time  been  out  of  the  market.  New  Elements  of  Music  have 
been  prepared  for  it,  and  the  places  of  such  pieces  as  proved  least  attractive  in  former  edi- 
tions are  occupied  by  arrangements  of  popular  melodies,  especially  prepared  for  this  new 
edition.  It  is  the  largest  collection  of  secular  music  published. 

THE  GLEE  HIVE.  A  collection  of  glees  and  part  songs.  By  LOWELL 
MASON  and  G.  J.  WEBB.  Kevised  and  enlarged  edition.  50  cents. 

In  the  revised  edition  a  few  of  the  heavier  and  more  difficult  pieces  have  been  laid  aside, 
and  their  place,  and  a  number  of  additional  pages,  are  filled  by  lighter  and  more  pleasing 
compositions. 

THE  VOCALIST.  Consisting  of  short  and  easy  glees,  or  songs,  arranged 
for  soprano,  alto,  tenor,  and  bass  voices.  By  L.  MASON  and  G.  J.  WBBB,  Professors  in 
the  Boston  Academy  of  Music.  fL 

THE  BOSTON  GLEE  BOOK.    By  LOWELL  MASON  and  GEO.  J.  WEBB. 

Containing  the  choicest  of  the  Standard  English  Glees.     This  work  has  been  most  admired 
of  any  similar  publication,  and  has  retained  its  popularity  unabated.    $1  25. 

TWENTY-ONE  MADRIGALS.  Selected  mostly  from  old  and  distin- 
guished composers.  By  L.  MASON  and  G.  J.  WEBB.  50  cents. 

THE  MELODIST.  A  collection  of  glees  and  part  songs.  By  G.  J.  WEBB 
and  WM.  MASON.  $1. 

THE  SOCIAL  GLEE  BOOK.  A  collection  of  classic  glees,  mostly 
from  the  German.  By  W* .  MASON  and  S:LAS  A.  BANCROFT.  For  skillful  singers  who  are 
able  to  sing  music  of  some  difficulty  with  taste,  this  book  is  a  treasure.  It  is  filled  with 
gems  of  the  first  water,  which  will  not  lose  their  luster  by  once  wearing.  The  more  these 
gems  are  sung,  the  better  they  will  be  liked.  New  edition.  Price  reduced  to  $1. 

FIRESIDE  HARMONY.  A  collection  of  glees  and  part  songs.  By  WM 
MASON.  $1. 


FOR  MEN'S  VOICES. 

THE  YOUNG  MEN'S  SINGING    BOOK.     A  collection  of  music  for 

male  voices,  intended  for  use  in  Colleges,  Theological  Seminaries,  and  the  social  circle, 
cousUts  Of,  Part  I.— The  Singing  School.  II.— Glees  and  part  Songs.  III.— Choir  Tunes. 
IV.— Congregational  Tunes.  V.— Anthems,  Chants,  etc.  By  GEORGE  F.  ROOT,  assisted 
by  L.  MASON.  SI. 

THE  GENTLEMEN'S   GLEE   BOOK.    A  selection  of  glees  for  men's 

voices,  from  the  most  admired  German  composers.  By  L.  MASON.  This  is  the  only  work 
of  the  kind  published  in  this  country.  It  contains  a  very  choice  selection  of  the  very  best 
of  the  German  glees  for  men's  voices.  $1 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


2  i 


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